Hangman's Hollow
by KittynMina
Summary: Souls going missing, humans with death scythes, halfbreeds and a group of demons creating chaos. Just another day at the office for the London Branch really.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hi. It's Kitty, stepping in for Mina while she does my work and I sit around pitying myself with a broken jaw. Welcome to the first chapter of a new fic. It is technically a sequel to Glass Emeralds and the Midnight Branch, but it's not essentail that you read them, anything important gets a summary of what you need to know when you need to know it. I'm told I write quite differently from Mina, but it's still working from her plot book, so let's go and please, read and enjoy and please review. Thank you.

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><p>"Report jackets are not to be used as fans."<p>

Everyone in the office jumped and turned as William strode in. Even inside the office building, which had basic air conditioning, the heat was unbearable. Seasons in the reaper's realm were extreme. It was still early summer, it was hot and dry and was only going to get worse. Grell set down the folder he was using to fan himself and slumped back on his chair, panting heavily and running his hand through his damp hair. For once Ronald was _almost_ jealous of Grell's issues with his gender. He was in a short, light skirt that must have been far cooler than their trousers. He didn't understand Grell's longing to be a woman, but he was his senior and a good reaper and close friend, so he respected it. Besides, most people either respected or feared him enough to comment. In fact it was only William and Eric who made an issue of it and they were perfectly capable of taking care of themselves.

"And can we at least _try_ to look like we deserve our position as the best division in the country, though heaven only knows who decided that. Mr Humphries is the only one who looks like he's actually here to work. He also seems to be the only one doing his work."

"Awww, but Will, it's so hot," Grell whined.

"Yes, and it happens every year," he said. "It's not the first time you've experienced summer, Sutcliff, you're well over a hundred years old-"

"I'm _not_ old!"

"Get back to work."

Ronald sighed, mopped his forehead and reached for another report. It was one of the days when Ronald would have preferred to be out reaping rather than in the office, or even at home. The weather in London was milder and there was a nice breeze there today, and the humans there thought it was sweltering. He had actually agreed when William told him to take a cold shower that morning. They'd all taken off their heavy jackets in an attempt to find some relief. Eric had unbutton a few more buttons on his shirt, rolled up his sleeves and completely undone his tie so it was hanging uselessly around his neck. Across from him, having pushed their desks together, Alan had removed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves but looked professional like it was a normal day. Grell was in a light skirt and heels- much to William's obvious disgust- and had pulled off his shirt and was just in his waistcoat. Although Ronald didn't think he was nearly as bad, he had opened his waistcoat, loosened his tie, undone a few more buttons and rolled up his sleeves.

"Those can't be helping," Grell said, gesturing lazily to the bandages and bracers on his forearms. "Take them off."

There was a moment where Ronald just watched Grell silently before he turned back to his work. Everyone knew why he still wore them, even if it wasn't strictly medical anymore. The scars, one on each arm, were still plain to see. He didn't like the rumours that followed him around or the things people asked or said when they saw them. Not to mention, William still blamed himself to some extent. It hadn't been his fault, not by any stretch of the imagination, but he hadn't been in control and when William wasn't in control he started to feel he wasn't doing everything he could. Ronald hated to think about them, or how guilty they made William feel so kept them covered as much as he could.

"They're fine, Miss Grell."

Time passed tortuously slowly and Grell returned to fanning himself with a folder. He dropped it whenever William came out to check on them, or snap at them for being too loud and chatting instead of working, only to pick it up again the second he was gone. Ronald had long since grown used to the way William was just as cold and harsh as ever in the office unless he had a good reason not to be. It wasn't as if he expected to be treated differently though. William wouldn't be William if he wasn't cold and professional.

Finally, their shifted ended and Ronald picked up his files, pausing as he got up and waiting for Grell to throw his own reports on top of the pile like he always did. Alan got up with him and took his and Eric's reports. William's office was a little cooler. The only window in the two adjoining offices was in there, not that there was even a breeze to ease the stifling heat. Ronald set down his reports on the desk next to Alan's. The smaller brunette left quietly when William had thanked him, leaving Ronald to smile down at him.

"What is it, Mr Knox?"

"Mr Knox?" Ronald said, leaning his elbows against the desk and grinning over at him. "We're alone now, boss, and we're off work. The least you can do is call me by my name. I know you're not going to treat me differently in the office, but we're alone now."

William stood slowly, keeping his hands on the desk and leaning forwards to look Ronald in the eyes. When he spoke it was with a low, firm tone, making it clear there was to be absolutely no arguing. "You, Mr Knox, may be off work, but I have to finish correcting all your reports. If the four of you did a better job I'd get off earlier and you distracting me is not helping. So, if you don't have anything _important_ to say, spit it out, if not, get out."

Ronald opened his mouth and William glared down at him, daring him to argue and offer anything but an apology and quick exit. Of course, Ronald was never one to give up easily. "You're very sexy when you're angry."

"How about when I'm giving you overtime?"

"Not so much."

"Then leave me to work."

"But-"

William silenced him by gripping his tie and pulling him away towards the door. They crossed the floor within seconds and just as William paused to open the door Ronald slipping his tie over his head and wrapped his arms around William's chest from behind. He laughed and nuzzled against him gently between his shoulders as the older reaper sighed.

"Let go."

"But boss-"

He pried Ronald's hands away and pushed him out the door with a gentle pat on his rear, ignoring his pouting and the bright, cheeky smile his touch brought. As Ronald turned to call him out on it, William smirked and shut the door, and turned away, locking the door behind him, leaving Ronald to glare through the small window in the door. The others were snickering amongst themselves. He turned and glared over them, folding his arms.

"Shut up."

"Aww, Ronnie," Grell laughed, bouncing over and pausing for a moment before throwing his arms around his shoulders. Ronald clenched his fists and sucked in a sharp breath but managed to keep still. After the attack that caused the scars on his arms, Ronald had been left broken and withdrawn and not wanting to be touched by anyone. There were plenty of times Grell had forgotten how jumpy he was and simply thrown his arms around him only to be thrown off, often _into_ something, as Ronald's fears got the better of him. Ronald had been through months of therapy, which was still ongoing, to get to the point where if he knew Grell was coming he didn't really react. "See, he loves Ronnie but he's mean to him. He doesn't hate me."

Alan laughed softly and gave him a friendly smile. "Only you could have that logic, Grell."

"Yeah," Eric said, turning away and grabbing his jacket. "He's _special_ like that."

"Of course I'm special, Eric."

"Don't be mean, love," Alan muttered.

"Miss Grell, please." Ronald struggled to push him off. "It's too hot to be so close."

"Are you two coming?" Alan called.

He and Eric were waiting at the door. Almost instantly, Grell dumped Ronald and ran over. They going up to the forest above the old Library. Once, a long time ago now, everything happened in the Library; reapers were born- or whatever happened when they were created, no one really remembered- trained, worked and lived there. Over the past few hundred years, as both the human and reaper population had boomed, it had become just bookcase after bookcase of cinematic records. Only high level reapers ever went in there though. Still it was a beautiful old building and looked stunning against the woody scenery, as long as you kept your back to the town that had sprung up to house the growing reaper population. Against the modern looking town it looked a little out of place. Eric and Alan were just going up there for a private picnic away from the general population while Grell was following along for the free food.

The London Branch was one of the biggest in the world. Their Dispatch and Collection Department had over a hundred divisions, each expected, even if it didn't always work out, to have a full force of two Junior Officer, two Senior Officers and a Supervisor, and they were still considered to be understaffed. Their offices took up the entire sixth floor of the office building, while smaller divisions could fit all the offices for all their departments in the same space. The sheer size of the place caused issues with reapers being transferred from smaller branches.

Not only was their work force huge, they had one of the two English training academies. While the students were generally housed in the dormitories, they did share the training block with the professionals, and many would pick up extra money on the side by working in the various cafes, restaurants and bars. They got a minimal allowance, so it was a good way to make extra money and network with the people they could be working with after graduation. There were older reapers who had other jobs, although almost none from Dispatch and Collection, or Internal Security. Outside of management, Dispatch and Collection was the most respected division. Officers from that department were known for being the toughest, most competent and highly trained reapers in the realm and as such it paid considerably more than any other non-management job.

Ronald didn't feel the need to get away as often as Eric and Alan and wasn't going with the others. He sat back on his chair, slipped off his waistcoat and pulled a chocolate bar, which he was amazed to find wasn't half melted, and book from a draw, sitting back and settling in to wait for William. He didn't mind. Sometimes William was strict on the rules and sometimes he let him in to sit with him while he was working. It depended on his mood. Today he was being strict about it, but Ronald was content to wait.

The door to William's office unlocked and Ronald glanced over. That was all very well and good, but William had kicked him out, he wasn't _that_ easy. He wasn't going to just go running the second William called. Birthday or not, William was going to have to apologise before Ronald went back into the office.

After another fifteen minutes or so, William came out and set a pile of reports on Ronald's desk. Ronald made a point of ignoring him, not even glancing up from his book. It annoyed William to no end when Ronald ignored him and Ronald knew it. William moved around the desk and ran his fingers teasingly up the sides of Ronald's neck, slowly tipping his head back so he was staring up at his dark haired boss. Smiling and blinking innocently, Ronald pushed down the urge to tangle his fingers in his thick dark hair and instead closed his book and waited patiently, something William had taught him over the years of their relationship. When they'd first got together Ronald had no patience, he couldn't help himself, but he'd grown rather fond of making William wait.

"I'm going to take the reports up. Are you going to wait?"

"I waited this long, I'll wait a bit longer."

William picked up the pick of reports and strode out with Ronald watching him go. He smiled and returned to his book, snapping off a piece of chocolate. It never took William more than fifteen minutes to deliver the day's reports to the District Supervisor. The last one had been found guilty of getting demons to attack reapers just to get a promotion. He was executed for it although Ronald had heard it was his assistant who framed him. It didn't make a lot of sense but Ronald got left out the loop a lot.

When William returned Ronald put away his things and got up to follow him home but William locked the door, caught his tie and pulled him into his office. Ronald went with him without any fuss, melting into William's hold as they kissed and William manoeuvred him down onto the couch. This was how it was supposed to be. After all their troubles, and their relationship hadn't been the easiest in the world given the rumours and talk that followed them or the number of incidents that kept setting them back, Ronald was ecstatic that things were getting back to normal.

"Where's my birthday surprise, Ronald?" William said, sitting back slightly. "You don't usually wait so long."

He laughed and lifted his head slightly, reaching his hands up to tangle them into his hair. "Well, I wanted to shake things up a little, didn't I? It's no fun if you're expecting it, boss. You know what's coming anyway."

"Cute, little and blue."

"Don't look so smug about it, it's embarrassing."

"You'll be blushing and flustered then." He chuckled softly and nipped at Ronald's ear, making him gasp and shiver. "Good."

"You're so mean to me. You tease me all the time, and you like it when I'm embarrassed."

"Hmm, but you look so adorable when you're blushing and stuttering." Hot sparks bolted down Ronald's spine as William's gloved his slipped under his shirt, the cool leather absolutely divine against his heated skin. A clouded, hungry glint flashed in his eyes sending heat rushing to Ronald's cheeks as he turned away to keep William from noticing. "Like now. It makes me want to just eat you up."

Ronald sat up slightly, pushing William off carefully. "Ok, ok, let's not get too carried away. You'll ruin your appetite for later. And I'd hate to waste Grell's gift if you're not going to savour it. Besides..." He sat up fully and pressed a soft, teasing kiss to William's lips. "I've got something else planned until then."

The small teasing smile seemed stop all arguments and William let Ronald pull him up. They walked through the halls, chatting quietly as they went. Ronald had cancelled his therapy session for the day since he wanted to spend all the time he could with William. It was his birthday, after all. Not that William would tell him how old he was. He was over one hundred, he knew that, and he was the same age as Grell. Whenever he asked William just told him he was old enough and Ronald didn't dare ask Grell. It wasn't polite to ask a lady her age after all, and the fact that he wasn't _actually_ female wouldn't make any difference. He'd considered asking Michelle. She was a year older than the pair and William's first girlfriend when he was back in the academy, not that William talked about those days much. She was nice enough, as long as you stayed on her good side, and she'd retired about a while ago- for the second time although this time it wasn't a case of retiring before she got convicted and executed. Ronald didn't mind her, but in the back of his mind a nagging voice always told him to be careful. She _was_ dangerous.

Ronald led William up to the roof where he'd laid out a blanket and a few pillows by one of the walls. Well, if Grell, Eric and Alan were going for a picnic, Ronald had decided they deserved their own private one. William sighed and shook his head.

"This is rather extravagant, Ronald."

"I'm sick of people thinking our relationship is just physical or that you're staying with me out of sympathy or guilt or something. So, big romantic gesture right? And after what Grell said about whether we're a proper couple or not, and whether we're going to spend the rest of our lives together and how unsure you were, I just wanted to do something different and fun and... just me and you enjoying each other's company rather than each other's bodies." William frowned and opened his mouth and Ronald realised how that sounded so quickly corrected himself. "I don't mean that I think our relationship is based on sex. I just mean... it's nice to just spend time talking and being together without doing anything, you know? And we've got to save that for later, right?"

For a long, silent moment, Ronald worried he hadn't said it right and he'd offended William. That was until William took his hand and gently pulled him down to the pillows. There was a large umbrella held in place with some stones to shade them, a cooler box and a large wicker picnic basket. Ronald had got one of his secretary friends to set it up on her recent coffee break. William shifted one of the pillows and leant back against the wall as Ronald pulled a bottle of wine from the cooler and poured out a glass for each of them. Usually they shared red wine but it generally got spilt and he didn't want to stain anything.

William wrapped his arm around his shoulders and gently drew him back to rest with him. It was only five in the afternoon and they had plenty of time. He smiled and handed William the glass, sipping his own quietly. In recent months he'd cut down on the amount he drank. Therapy had mellowed a lot of aspects of his personality, although Eric said it was just him growing up at settling. Along with not drinking so heavily and so often, he didn't stay out late partying so late or so often and he didn't hide behind hollow smiles and laughter so often. He'd found himself becoming similar to how he was in the academy, and how he imagined he would have been if his life hadn't become so mess up, if one sadistic teacher hadn't picked him and set him on a path of self-destruction and burying his pain in fake friends, booze and sex.

The wicker hamper moved and Ronald frowned, reached out and pulled it over. It moved again and this time there was sound inside. William glanced down at him, one eyebrow quirked curiously, and Ronald pulled open the lid. Staring up at them innocently was a small, fluffy white kitten. It mewled and blinked up at them before scrambling out and climbing up onto Ronald's lap and stretching so it was lying across both of them.

"Grim," Ronald sighed.

"I wondered why I couldn't find him this morning."

"He's been in there all day?" He sighed and rubbed Grim's stomach gently. Grell had taken to tying a tie around his collar and calling him one of the team. There were dark marks on his face, around his eyes, over his nose and up to his eyes, like glasses and on his front paws, like a pair of gloves. "Poor fella. Did you want to give the boss a birthday surprise as well? Well, you are part of the family too, aren't you?"

"Family?"

Ronald frowned and glanced up at him, blushing heavily. "Yeah, I mean, we're kind of like a family, I guess."

"Perhaps. Although, it's more likely he was simply in there because it was shaded and quiet."

"Looks like he ate some of the food too. Sorry boss."

Ronald smiled as William squeezed his shoulders and tilted his head up slightly, locking his gaze with William's. "Don't be sorry. It's still a nice surprise. And it's good to spend time with you, just some quiet time together."

"You're so soppy sometimes. But I like that."

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><p>"My lady-"<p>

"Julian." The demon fell silent at his mistress' glare. Michelle Galloway was not a reaper to annoy. '_Should have been a demon_' was not a phrase associated with her for no reason. Given that she was in tears and in her hands was a very large axe, Julian stayed out of her reach and remained silent. "Don't you dare tell me this isn't going to work. I have gone through _eight_ demons before you, one of them I actually cared for, and countless humans, and given years of my time to make this work! Don't tell me everything's going to go wrong now!"

After a few long, awkward moments of silence, Julian took a hesitant step forwards. "My lady, I was only going to inform you of potential blip in the plan. Dr Charles Dray has succeeded." Michelle frowned and glared at him, brushed her tears away and sniffling slightly. Somehow, it didn't make Julian any less wary. "He has succeeded, by fluke or by science in creating an artificial half breed."

"Let him," Michelle said. "It won't be long until the others get to him."

"Shelly!" Madeline came running in a flung her arms around Michelle. "What's wrong? What's the matter? Why are you crying?"

"Nothing, Maddie, don't worry."

"Who's that?" she said, pointing to the picture in Michelle's hands. "He's really handsome."

Michelle smiled and Madeline stroked her cheeks, brushing away her tears. "That's Daniel. He was really special."

"Did you love him?"

Michelle smiled at the child but shot Julian a glare. He turned away and strode out. The demon who had served her before Julian, Daniel Black, had been at her side for over a decade. While Daniel had mentored him, something Julian was very grateful for, he was always going to be in his shadow. Daniel was a powerful demon who'd fallen to a trio of enraged reapers. It served as a lesson to many demons and confrontations between reapers and demons had dropped after the brutal murder. Being with Michelle was a huge opportunity, staying her on her good side was a perfect way to keep from getting into trouble with reapers while learning about how to deal with them, and receiving the odd throw away soul.

Of course, getting on her bad side tended to result in decapitation or worse. Julian wasn't even completely sure what she'd agreed to keep Madeline for. When Alan had brought her to Michelle, explaining that she wasn't on the death list but was innocent and didn't deserve to suffer, which was most likely some kind of survivor's guilt after his life was saved, Michelle had said she would take her as a replacement, since she couldn't baby Alan anymore. He didn't buy that for a second though. Michelle never seemed to do anything without an ulterior motive. She was known to always be thinking years ahead. She'd probably found some use for her already.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** So, my pretties, a few reviews last chapter, thank you. I know, you don't get so many reviews on the first chapters, ever really. I'm thinking this'll probably update about twice a week, I can't update as fast a Mina even if I have nothing to do all day. Given it was mostly Will and Ronald last chapter it's almost nine of them this chapter. But we do get pretty much every other character for you. And then next chapter you will finally discover what cute, little blue gift Grell gave Ronald and it won't be that much of a surprise but you won't have thought of it. One of those obvious things you don't think about. Well, I know I didn't until I was told, then I was like 'oh yeah, that's always cute' and I've probably given it away but I don't mind. Anways, yeah, a long note there, thank you for your reviews and please keep them coming (and that sounded exactly like how Mina writes that).

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><p>There was a strong woody and fresh smell in the Undertaker's that Grell quite liked. Most the time, he couldn't stand the old reaper, with his constant giggling and chuckling and cryptic clues because he cared more about how much fun it was to watch them squirm than how many people were put in danger. He did like the smell though. Why it didn't smell of bodies was beyond him. He expected it to smell of rotting corpses and body parts and the chemicals used for embalming and stuff. Instead there was a nice woody smell, probably from the coffins.<p>

"Is there are reason you're here, my dear reaper, instead of with your friends?" the Undertaker called from the back room. "You don't like being in my funeral parlour."

"Everyone's being all cute and in love and it's cool in here." The Undertaker hummed and Grell continued. "Eric and Alan are doing their adorable '_we're so in love and reading each other's minds_' thing and adorable as it is, I don't want to be the only one without someone to love. I just feel like a third wheel."

"What about little Ronald? You're close with him?"

"Little Ronnie? Yeah, _any_ other day I could rely on him and just bang on his door and we'd go out and have fun and make everything better while William sits and reads like always but not today. _Today _is William's birthday and that means he's going to keep Ronald hauled up in bed the second they get home." He hummed again. "It sucks, being the only one with no one to love. I thought it'd be some ultra romantic tale, my life. I thought Will pushed me away because he was denial but then he fell in love with Ronnie. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for them, they're a beautiful couple. I just wish it was me."

He'd always thought that he and William were destined to be together. They were like a classic romance. They argued and bickered but were always there when they needed each other. Eventually they'd realise they loved each other, followed by hot, passionate love making. Instead, Grell had inadvertently _set him up_ with Ronald by bringing him into the division and introducing them. It was _so_ unfair. Of course he was happy to see William with someone he loved, it had softened him slightly. If he couldn't have William, he was glad it was at least someone he adored and trusted like Ronald. He was honestly happy for them. He just wished he had someone special too.

"What about dear Michelle? Weren't you two rather on and off?"

Grell frowned. On and off was putting it mildly. He'd loved how cruel she was, then she started to calm down and look after Alan. Eric's mission to cure him of the Thorns of Death by killing a thousand people had got him in a _lot_ of trouble. He'd succeeded, more than a little because Ronald hadn't come to them the second he'd found out, Alan had forgiven him as long as he'd promised not to kill anymore- Eric hadn't kept that promise of course- and Michelle and the Undertaker helping him out and getting him into a top secret branch by helping him fake his death. It was all rather complicated and obviously it had taken a toll on Alan. Since Eric had made her promise to look after Alan she'd become devoted to helping him through and Grell had ended up pretty much ignored. They were very on and off since then.

"She's retired and being all quiet and boring."

"Shame," the Undertaker said. He wheeled out a coffin on a trolley and slid it off to the floor. "Then, why are you here? I was under the impression you disliked me."

Grell glared over and growled. "You're preferable to all the other idiots who live and work in my presence. They don't appreciate my greatness. And neither do you but I tend to assume that's just because you're old and senile."

"My my," he chuckled. "Such cruel words coming from someone who professes to be lady? No wonder Mr Spears doesn't want you."

"That is just rude!"

He chuckled and patted Grell's head. This was why he didn't like going there, he found _everything_ funny. He groaned and fell back into his coffin he was sitting on. The Undertaker chuckled and leant over him. "Those are for the dead you know, my dear."

"You're lucky it's so cool in here or I'd leave. And you're the one who sleeps in them."

"Perhaps, but I at least sleep in coffins that suit me." He giggled and leant over with a measuring tape. "This one is the wrong colour, shape and size for you. Come into the back room and I'll make you a better one."

Grell sat up and narrowed his eyes. He wasn't going in any back room with a creepy old man. Desperate for love as he was, the Undertaker really did grate on him. Good looking as he was without the robes and long hair over his eyes and most of his face he just gave him the chills. Alan kept telling him that if he got to know him he wasn't so bad but Grell just wanted somewhere cool and shaded to hang out and get away from all the loving couples.

"Since you're here and not going anywhere, would you like some tea while we talk about your measurements?"

"You are not making me a coffin!" he cried.

"Why not? I make the coffins for most the London Branch."

The door burst open and Grell sat up. "Undertaker!"

The Undertaker grinned as a blonde and brunette came running over. They stopped in front of the Undertaker, panting heavily. The blonde recovered first, straightening up and shaking his hair slightly. Grell knew them well. The Midnight branch was a top security and top secret group of reapers, trained to work above the normal rules of their world. They'd taken in Eric after the 'thousand souls incident', as it was now referred to. Getting him back afterwards had been complicated, and when they thought back there were a lot of times when they'd seen Eric around, even in the office and they'd spoken to him, and no one had mentioned it. Well, no one had wanted to pipe up and say a man they thought was dead was sitting on Alan's desk in case no one else had seen him. It would be a bit weird, even for their division.

It turned out Michelle was one of the Midnight Branch at one stage and the Undertaker had been one of the top members of the branch as well. And one they still ran to. Peter Dunham, the blonde, was a high ranking member who'd mentored Eric during his time in there and the brunette, Mark Davis, was head over heels in love with Eric but had pushed him to reconcile with Alan and go home. He was a nice boy, very sweet. Grell could see why Eric had seen him as a replacement Alan for the years he wasn't supposed to have contact. Peter on the other hand was generally cruel and cold. The perfect temperament for a secret agent.

"Stop running, boys," the Undertaker said, patting their heads. "It's not respectful. Now, what's the matter?"

"Have you heard about the half breed?" Mark said. "They've actually made a half breed."

Grell frowned. "That's not possible and you boys should know it. We are, unfortunately, sterile. All of us. We can't breed. No exceptions."

Peter glanced over and shook his head. Grell couldn't stand him. Honestly, he annoyed Grell more than anyone else he had regular contact with. Yes, Eric was mean, and not even in the sexy way- and he was blonde anyway, Grell liked tall, dark and handsome more and couldn't see any way _he_ convince Eric to change his hair back to its normal brown when Alan preferred it blonde- and William didn't appreciate him _at all_ and the Undertaker was just the Undertaker but Peter was in a league of his own.

"They've done it artificially," Mark said before Peter could answer. "Somehow. It's complicated. You remember that orphanage run by Charles Dray-"

"He was the one experimenting of children, wasn't he?"

They nodded. They'd bumped into him a few months ago. His wife had been dying and he was looking for a way to save her when his daughter had contracted with a demon- the Phantomhive brat, just their luck- to help by capturing reapers and holding them prisoner while he experimented. Ronald had run off after his attack, he had been struggling with being around anyone and had left without a word, and had been caught and held. Luckily for them, Michelle had been paying attention and sent her demon to feed on the soul of the mother, and the Phantomhive brat was smart enough to take advantage. He'd never asked what happened to Charles though. Obviously he'd survived the fire and carried on with his research.

Peter frowned and turned his attention back to the Undertaker. "He's done it. Somehow, he's done it and made a half breed. We have no idea what mix of traits it has, but it's going to be trouble."

"So go and kill it."

"Wow, you make it sound like we haven't thought of that."

"Then what's the problem?"

The Undertaker stepped between them, raising his hands slightly. "Now now, children, let's not fight. The problem is simple, my dear. It could be useful."

"We don't know how powerful he is," Mark said, folding his arms. "Or what traits he has, or how he was created. We need answers."

Sighing, Grell fell aside and found himself resting against the Undertakers chest as the older reaper stroked his hair soothingly. He could feel a headache coming on. Why did Ronald have to remember William's birthday? What was wrong with just treating it like any other day? "Why are you hands wet? You'd better have just washed your hands and that's water. If that's anything I'm going to take my chainsaw to your hat and possibly other body parts."

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><p>"Hey, look," Alan said, nudging Eric's side as they walked by the office building. Eric glanced up to the roof. There was a figure sitting on the wall around the edge, watching something a little way off out of sight. "Ronald and William are enjoying themselves then?"<p>

Eric folded his arms around glared up. "Whatever, come on. Let's go, I'm not going to have time to cook if you spend all your time appreciating what a cute couple they are."

"You're so grumpy recently."

Eric narrowed his eyes slightly but said nothing. After another long moment watching Ronald, Alan slipped his arms around Eric's and took his hand, gently guiding him on. It was true, Eric had been incredibly grumpy recently. It was partly because Ronald wasn't coming out drinking with him so much anymore. He didn't really have any one to go out and let off steam with anymore since Alan wasn't interested. Ronald's therapy had changed him, toned him down and in some cases the change was so subtle it only showed if they knew him well. Of course Eric, being the overprotective big brother figure he was, didn't appreciate it at all. He'd said several times that if William loved him so much, why was he encouraging him to change? Ronald needed the help though and Alan suspected it was less about Ronald getting the help he needed and recovering and more that William was finally putting his foot down about how close he was with Eric.

Alan had never said a word about it. He wasn't exactly innocent in the whole affair. While he'd tried not to actively encourage Eric, they were both a little too fond of cuddling Ronald and getting a bit affectionate. He'd always wondered how long William was going to stand for it. From the start he'd made it clear he disliked it but he begrudgingly allowed it. Ronald's therapist had spoken to him about it and that was that. He'd set clear boundaries and when Ronald went over the line, William told him what he'd done wrong straight away and then completely ignored him for a set amount of time. It was like a parent dealing with a child. And conversely, when Ronald was obviously tempted to break the rules but didn't, he would be rewarded, even in a little way. Ronald's behaviour quickly began to change.

Not that Eric had been at all impressed by this new idea. He didn't see why Ronald needed to change his behaviour, just work through his problems. Whether he was simply being grumpy or he really didn't get that the two _had_ to go together, Alan wasn't sure.

"Don't worry, I knew you were grumpy when I fell in love with you." Eric grunted and Alan squeezed his hand. "So, what do you think about what Grell was saying?"

"About what?"

"Why we're a proper couple but William and Ronald aren't."

"I agree."

Alan sighed. "You would. Please, Eric, be serious."

"I am being serious." He sighed and nodded slowly. "I just don't see why they're dragging out something that's not working."

"It _is_ working. And it makes them happy. Why isn't that enough?"

Eric lowered his head and glared at the ground. It was enough. He would be absolutely furious if William ever broke Ronald's heart and left him. Whatever anyone said, Alan could see them lasting forever. No matter what problems they had, they worked to overcome them. Eric wanted them to stay together as much as Alan did really, he was just too stubborn to admit it.

Alan caught Eric's tie as they entered their apartment and pulled him into the kitchen. It was Alan favourite place to be. When he'd thought Eric was dead, when he wasn't staying with William and Ronald or Michelle trying to distract himself from the pain, he'd sat in the kitchen and cried to himself. It had been so painful. Being in the kitchen, where Eric would cook and he would always sit and watch him and chat made him feel closer to Eric, even if he was alone. He'd missed him. He was all he'd ever wanted. Eric had been, and still was, almost perfect in his eyes. There were times he'd questioned him and times he'd wondered if he'd made the right choice, he understood why Ronald and William had problems. No one was completely perfect. No matter people thought of him and Eric, they weren't a perfect couple. They fought and argued just like a normal couple. Eric had flaws, and Alan knew he had flaws too.

He reached up slowly and pulled Eric down into a firm but gently kiss, letting the older reaper press him back against the kitchen counter, the edge cutting into his back just enough to make him mewl softly against his mouth. They stayed locked in that tender, loving kiss for a few long moments before Eric laughed a little moved back.

"I'm never going to get around to cooking if you keep distracting me like that."

Alan chuckled and shook his head. "But aren't I just the most wonderful distraction, darling?"

"The _most_ wonderful," Eric purred, cupping his cheeks and pulling him up to press their lips together once more. "But if I gave into temptation very time we'd both starve. Unfortunately we can't live off our love for one another. If we could we won't have any need for anything else."

"Ahh, you sappy idiot," Alan said, smacking his chest playfully. "I thought you were a tough guy. Get on with cooking and leave the emotional stuff to me."

"And yet you hate it when I call you a girl."

"Go, get cooking. I'm hungry."

"Whatever you say, sweetheart. Your wish is my command."

"Yeah, if only."

It wasn't long before the mouth watering smell of bacon and eggs wafted through the apartment. It was simpler than they'd been planning but it was quick and easy, especially since Alan had his arms around Eric's chest and was leaning on him from behind. It hindered Eric's ability to cook complicated dishes. They chatted quietly as he cooked, about little things that weren't really important, just talking for the sake of talking. Ronald used to do that. It was something Alan missed. After the brutal attack he'd become withdrawn and quiet. Recently he'd started to talk again, not quite to the same as before but he was getting there. Ronald could ramble on and on about nothing at all really. He smiled at the thought.

"Where do you suppose Grell went off too?"

"Who cares?" Eric said. "Find the muffiny things."

Alan laughed and let him go, turning away to the cupboards. "Muffiny things? I'm not seeing anything resembling a muffiny thing. We've got roll like things, bagel whatsits, bready stuff-"

"Alright. I get the picture, you don't have to mock me. The breakfast muffins."

"Oh, right. Found them, but it's not breakfast."

"It's an all day breakfast, or would you prefer I ate yours as well, sweetheart?"

He laughed again and pushed over the plates with the breakfast muffins cut and buttered. He loved it when Eric cooked bacon sandwiches. Just the smell was amazing. They served them in canteen at work but it never compared. There was nothing better when waking up with a hangover- which was rare given that he didn't drink all that much- or just watching Eric with his hangover than a delicious, hot and freshly cooked bacon and eggs, rather than cooked and kept warm until it was rubbery and hard. Then there were times Alan just craved bacon them- which really didn't help with Eric calling him a girl and making jokes around watching his weight. It didn't help that Alan was a little insecure about that. If he was taller, if wouldn't be such a problem but he was small and light and putting on even a little weight would make him look chubby and Eric wasn't exactly a low fat cook, everything was fried or buttery or creamy and then there were the deserts... Eric was definitely a full fat cook. Of course, he didn't mean it maliciously. He just seemed to be the master of unfunny and insensitive jokes. At times at least. Other time he was absolutely the most charming, funny and caring person in the world, and at least Alan knew if he was ever _really_ offended Eric would be apologising profusely for days.

Melted cheese dripped from Eric's egg as he put it on the muffin followed by the bacon. Alan had never bothered with that much cheese on _anything_ let alone a sandwich. When he was sick, he'd tried to eat a little healthily. He didn't want to make the Thorns worse in anyway and for a while Eric had cut down on the fatty foods and agreed that if Alan was looking after himself, Eric would do it as well for moral support. He'd even stopped drinking and stayed in with him. Only, Alan didn't want him to suffer because of him, so they found middle ground.

There was a bang on the door and Alan got up, opening it slowly. Michelle was there, with Madeline at her side and small, overnight bag. "Michelle?"

"Hey Shell," Eric called from inside.

"Hi," she said, pulling Madeline inside and Alan closed the door slowly behind them. Within moments, Madeline threw her arms around Alan, giggling softly as he stroked her hair. "I need you two to look after Maddie for the night."

Alan shook his head quickly. "Oh, we can't do that, Michelle. You knew that's against the rules. She's human, you shouldn't even bring her here."

"I know, but I wouldn't ask if I wasn't desperate, you know that, and you guys like her. Just look after her. Keep her safe for me, ok? If you need me I'm staying with Will and Ronald tonight."

Alan grabbed her hand as she turned to leave. "Have you told _them_ that?"

"That's where I'm going."

"They're not in and it's William's birthday, they won't appreciate it. And we really can't look after a kid."

"We'll see about that. Thank you, love you guys." She kissed his cheek and hurried out. "Thanks, bye."

"Michelle!"

She's gone, Al," Eric said gently. "Have you eaten yet, Maddie? Want a sandwich?" She nodded quickly, muttering her thanks. "Come on, let him go, let him breathe."

Alan sighed as Madeline let him go and ran over to the kitchen with him. Why would Michelle drop off Madeline with them? She had a demon willing to do whatever she wanted, and she must have had other people around she could ask favours of. Not to mention what would happen if she was caught here.

"Mr Eric? I still don't get it."

"Get what?"

"How you and Mr Alan can be in love."

She frowned and tilted her hand, gazing up at him expectantly. It wasn't exactly an unexpected question, humans tended to see anything that wasn't a man and woman of the same class as wrong and something to be shunned and kept in the shadows. It was a shame. Everything to them seemed to about breeding and who would bring the most prestige to your family name, or who would give you kids. Since reapers weren't able to breed, it was pretty much a mute point. They'd learn eventually, they'd always been a little behind the immortals in terms of morals, social norms and technology. Eric laughed though and lifted Madeline up to sit on the kitchen counter.

"What don't you get about it?"

"You're not married and you can't have kids." Eric smirked and glanced back at Alan who sighed. Children saw everything so simply. "Isn't that the point of being in love?"

Eric laughed and patted her head. "Well, grim reapers can't have kids. We're not born really, we're created the way we are and since we don't get older, we don't need to have kids. It's not a problem. And... hey, do you know anyone who's married, Al?"

"No, now you mention it," Alan said, leaning on the back of the couch and watching them. "It's not really the done thing around here, is it?"

"There you, Maddie."

"Besides, love has nothing to do with who you're married to or anything like that. Especially in your world, most your marriages, higher class ones at least, are arranged. Love is about who makes you feel special and safe and happy, like nothing else in the world. Even if you argue and fight, you always go back to them, because they make you feel like you can do anything."

"Even find a way to make miracle cures from fairy tales work."

"Yes, thank you, Eric." Madeline giggled. "The point is, Maddie, you can't be forced into loving someone or arranged to love someone or even be told you can't love someone. You love who you love and nothing is going to change it."

Madeline frowned, seemingly thinking it over for a few moments before nodding slowly. "Is that why you two are in love, even though Mr Eric is so much older than you, Mr Alan?"

"You're really curious about everything, aren't you?" Eric muttered.

Alan smiled and watched them quietly. There were reapers who wanted children. They felt life meant nothing if they didn't have someone to share it with and to raise and be proud of. It was their way of getting over the monotony of immortal life. Some got kittens and puppies instead but finding an immortal one like Grim was rare. At first no one had known what to make of him but the Undertaker had said that centuries ago reapers had looked into creating immortal pets, creatures that wouldn't pass away in a fraction of its owner's life. Eric was constantly teasing Ronald about how he seemed to mother Grim like he was a stand in child, something that got the little blonde so flustered while trying to deny it that William wouldn't step in. After all, it was no secret William loved seeing Ronald blushing and stuttering, much like how Eric said certain things just because he liked it when Alan let go and got angry.

"Well, Mr Alan looks only a little older than me," Madeline said. "He's really young, and you look like you're really old, like thirty or something."

"Firstly, I don't look like I'm thirty, which isn't old for your kind anyway. Secondly, there's only twenty-five years between us, way less than the difference between William and Ron, which is about... what, ninety years or so? And given that we live forever the age difference doesn't matter that much."

"And I don't look _that_ young, do I? What's going on anyway, Maddie? Why has Michelle brought you here rather than leaving you with Julian?"

"She doesn't trust him," Madeline said, shaking her head. "And she was getting all upset over Daniel. She loved him, didn't she?" Alan and Eric glanced between each other. "She said he knew what was going on but helped her anyway."

"What is going on?" Eric said, handing her a plate. "What's she up to now?"

"Something about demons. She says it's dangerous to tell me too much."

Alan frowned and lowered his head to his arms. Why would she keep around a demon she didn't trust? Honestly, he'd been absolutely amazed when Michelle had agreed to take in Madeline for him. As a general rule, she did nothing without an incentive, not even for friends. If she was putting up with a demon she didn't trust there was something serious going on. Alan's frown deepened and he rubbed his temples. This _couldn't_ be good.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Happy Valantines. I got two cards and a box of chocolates, from my favourite horse and from the one who threw me off and stood on my face. Yeah, my friends and family are all _so_ mature. However, I'm not complaining, I got chocolates and just about managed to eat them without hurting my jaw too much. This chapter... I dunno, I'm not overly comfortable with lemony stuff. I tend to write it and then edit it out so it still seems natural, so this is the first time I've actually left any lemony stuff, so I'm not too sure. Anyway, yeah, thanks for the reviews, please keep them coming. Thanks.

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><p>Grim mewled from inside the wicker basket and Ronald double checked the buckle holding the basket lid closed. It had taken him long enough to get Grim wrapped up in the blanket and put him inside. Technically, pets weren't allowed in the office building, so they had to hide him. William smiled slightly. It warmed his heart to have Ronald rambling aimlessly like he used to. He could talk about everything and anything and William would just smile and listen quietly, speaking when prompted to, because Ronald was smiling again. Not just because he was trying to make his friends feel better either, it was a genuine honest smile.<p>

"It's nice..." William glanced over and Ronald tilted his head, grinning slightly. Was he reading William's mind now? That was actually a bit disturbing. He didn't want Ronald reading half the stuff on his mind sometimes. "Seeing you smile like that."

"Like what?"

"Like everything's ok again," he replied. "Like you're honestly one hundred percent happy, and not thinking about work or what's happened, you know?"

William nodded and reached over, wrapping his arm around Ronald's waist and pulling him close. They were off work, so he didn't really care who was around to see. "Maybe I'm just thinking about what I'm getting for my birthday."

"Well, we should hurry home then, shouldn't we?"

"There's no rush. Haven't I told you enough that there's no point rushing anything? It's better to take your time rather and enjoy it, you know that."

"I don't want to be patient though," Ronald whined, leaning against his shoulder. "Why can't I just pull you into one of these unused offices and-"

"Please, Ronald, tell me again who's birthday it is?"

Ronald pouted and William squeezed his waist gently. There was a slightly feminine edge to Ronald's body that William adored. Mainly his waist, hips and rear, there was a lovely feminine curve to them and his soft, welcoming lips. It had been proved several times in undercover jobs that Ronald could make a beautiful girl. Some people didn't like that, William loved it. How it made Ronald blush and squirm and how Ronald hated to let anyone but William see him like that, he wasn't sure why but he knew he loved seeing Ronald like that. He smiled as they wandered slowly up the stairs, Ronald leaning against him as they went. It was reassuring in strange way, Ronald seemed to have complete and utter faith in him. It was all very well believing that William was in control and would do all he could to protect him, but William often worried what would happen if he let Ronald down and he got hurt again.

They'd barely closed the door before Ronald stepped around, snaking his arms around his neck and locking their lips together. From inside the basket, Grim yowled for attention having been dropped unceremoniously on the couch. William dropped the cooler and unbuckled the basket with one hand, wrapping his other arm tightly around Ronald's waist and drawing him in firmly. The pair stumbled back to the couch, Ronald moaning softly as he always did when William's tongue slipped past his lips and met his advances with his own. It was another of Ronald's little habits, something William had grown used to and come to expect. And when Ronald had been suffering, when he'd not met his touches and kisses with soft, encouraging moans and whines but with terrified, heartbreaking whimpers and sobs, it had been one of the things he'd missed so much. William fell back to the couch with Ronald above him, straddling his lap and pulling off William's tie before slowly breaking the kiss and sitting back.

"Happy birthday, boss," he purred, fingers moving smoothly down William's shirt and undoing the buttons as he went. "How old are you now?"

"Old enough." Ronald finally got William's shirt open, pulling away the light, bright white fabric and smirking to himself. "You seem to be taking a lot of pleasure out of this, Ronald."

"Well, who doesn't take pleasure from being on the lap of such a handsome man?"

He took William's wrist and pulled his hand up. With absolute precision, the little blonde pulled William's leather gloves from his hands with his teeth and, of course, given how experienced and skilled Ronald was at this sort of thing, William didn't even feel his teeth graze him, just his hot, moist breath. With the gloves out the way, Ronald set to work removing William's crisp white shirt. There was no cool air to soothe his heated, sweat slicked skin, just the stifling heat of the summer.

Ronald reclaimed his all too willing mouth seconds later, pressing into another forceful, almost desperate kiss, tangling his fingers into his hair and whining softly as William squeezed his arm around his waist, his free hand sliding up to Ronald's collar to slip it away from his neck. He wanted Ronald out of these clothes as quickly as possible. Making the most of their time and taking it slow was all very well, but today he was impatient. It was a possibly he was just getting restless because Ronald was forcing them to continue at his pace. He wasn't in control and that always made him fidgety.

His hand trailed down Ronald's chest, stroking his damp skin as Ronald giggle into his mouth. Sliding his hand in slowly down to the first button still done up, he tugged gently before popping it open. That was when Ronald broke their kiss once more, much to William's disappointment, and gently took his hand away, kissing his fingertips. "Please, not yet, boss. Just wait a little longer for me, it'll be worth it."

William opened his mouth to argue but his throat when dry as his little blonde leant into his neck, moving a few fluttering, soft kisses down his neck, nuzzling playfully against his jaw as his breath sped up and his heart pounded. Every instinct told him to push Ronald down and undress him but he'd wait for now. There was no harm taking time and letting Ronald do his work. In the back of his mind William hated how good at this Ronald was. There were boys his age that had only had one partner and were still inexperienced and shy and naive when it came to love and intimacy. Ronald was a strong, confident lover who had been with so many partners he couldn't remember them all. So William took great pleasure in finding things Ronald had never experienced before and to have him blushing and nervous, because it meant it was something between just them and no one else.

He gasped silently as Ronald nipped roughly at his sensitive neck then lifted his head, gazing up at him hungrily. There had always been something so stunning about that dark, lustful look that filled him with a desperate need.

"Ronald?" William breathed huskily as the blonde slid off his lap. "What are you..." Words failed him as Ronald's fingers slid along his thighs, parting his legs and settling on his knees. "Oh."

Ronald toyed with his belt teasingly, his fingers brushing over his aching need every now and again, making William stiffen and jerk slightly. It was a few long moments before Ronald finally eased down William's trousers and underwear just enough to allow him access. William watched him intently, completely enchanted by the youngster leant closer, his breath washing over him, sending hot shivers bolting up William's spine and making Ronald smirk. He tilted his head back onto the back of the couch as Ronald's fingers closed around him firmly, giving a soft, teasing squeeze before slowly sliding his hand up to make him hiss slightly.

"I love making you squirm, boss."

William growled and pulled Ronald's glasses from his nose, letting them drop to the couch and leaving Ronald staring up at him. It wasn't unusual for William to relieve Ronald of his glasses while leaving his own on, short sighted as they were it was a quick easy way to get him at a disadvantage. Smirking, and not seeming to care about his lack of glasses, he slipped out his tongue, running it along his length, making him shiver and almost making him moan.

"Ronald..."

"Patience, boss, remember," he teased. "Isn't that what you always say? Patience makes it all the better, doesn't it?"

It _was_ what he was always saying, yes, but it didn't always work like that. Finally, Ronald took him into his mouth and this time William couldn't stop himself moaning softly and sliding his fingers into Ronald's thick, golden hair, pulling him closer and letting his eyes fall shut. Much as he tried not to think about it, there was always a nagging voice in the back of his mind reminding him how Ronald became so good at this, and how he should have seen Ronald was on a path of self destruction long before their relationship. He wasn't pleased about it, but he knew everyone spoke about Ronald like he was just a stupid child who slept around with anyone who tried it on. Actually, he hated how people spoke about him and Ronald's relationship too. The way people assumed he was using Ronald just as everyone else had. Everyone had always used him and Ronald had let them just to feel affection for a little while. It made Ronald an incredibly competent lover, of course, but it didn't stop William seething at the thought of Ronald with anyone else.

As if sensing his annoyance, he reached up, gripping his hip with one hand and massaging firmly and humming, making him moan and thrust lightly into his mouth. His breath quickened, clenching his fists in Ronald's hair, making him moan around him. Ronald was _his_ now. It didn't matter about the others. He kept telling himself that. It didn't matter about them, Ronald was his and only his, loving and caring. He tugged at Ronald's hair and the blonde whined. He laid his head back, panting heavily as he thrust into Ronald's hot, wet mouth, arching his back and pulling Ronald closer. This time, when he clenched his fists in his hair, Ronald gave a small, low cry, gripping William's hip and sending him over the edge, hot burning pleasure tearing through him.

William opened his eyes after a few long moments, just in time to see Ronald swallow and sit back slightly, still stroking his hip. For a long moment, William just watched the little blonde staring up at him, those big, sharp, glistening eyes completely focused on him even without his glasses. Absolutely stunning. No matter how insecure Ronald was, William would always tell him honestly he was beautiful. Slowly and carefully, he untangled his trembling hands from Ronald's damp hair and slid them down to cup his flushed, heated cheeks, gently guiding him up in into his lap once more so he could draw him into a soft, tender kiss.

"Oh please, Will, I know it's your birthday, but put the kid down for five seconds."

Ronald growled, much to William's amusement and annoyance, and turned to glare at the door. Not that William thought he could see anything more than a figure but it was cute that he got so possessive. Of course, they both knew the voice without looking. It was better than Grell interrupting, which was, unfortunately, a rather common occurrence. He seemed to have a sixth sense for when people really didn't want to be interrupted.

"How did you get in here, Michelle?" William said, glancing over.

Ronald wrapped his arms possessively around him as Michelle came over and leant on the arm of the couch. "The front door, Will. How else would I get in?" Again Ronald growled, glaring over. "Oh, who's a possessive little Puppy?"

She giggled and reached over, ruffling his hair as Ronald looked disgusted by the nickname. If she was only here to tease them, William wasn't going to be at all impressed. Interrupting his time with Ronald without good reason was almost suicidal. It was Michelle though, she did tend to have a reason for everything.

"What do you want, Michelle?"

"Get rid of your little pet, we need to talk." This time Ronald didn't even make a sound, just hugged him tighter, burying his head in shoulder, obviously an absolute refusal to leave. William sighed and Michelle smirked. "I don't remember ever being that insecure about your love for me, Will. And don't you let him go out to drinking and stuff? You trust him to go out alone."

Ronald glared over. "You're interrupting."

"And it's important."

"Go on, Ronald," William said, gently nudging him up. "I'll be in soon." There was a muttered complain in response but he slid off and stood slowly, leaning over to press a gentle kiss to his lips. "I won't be long."

"You'd better not be," he whispered.

As he strode away, William pulled on his shirt and quickly redressed to a decent standard. The door shut and he turned to Michelle, who smirked and caught his shirt collar, reaching down and buttoning up his shirt for him. William frowned and pulled her hands away.

"Please, Will, it's nothing I haven't seen before."

"That was a long time ago, Michelle."

It was roughly a hundred years ago, she was his first girlfriend and she was always going to be special to him, which of course, Ronald hated as much as William hated thinking about who Ronald had been with before him. They'd never really been as close as they were back then, and he was still careful around her, since she always seemed to be up to something, but he still turned to her when things got too dangerous. Being known for consorting with demons, finding a loop hole for every rule anda willingness to go though anyone and anything standing in her way, she was useful, especially now she was retired.

"He's good for you, Will. He's a sweet kid, I've never held it against him that he's got you." William nodded. He knew that. "Anyway, I need to stay here tonight."

He frowned as she picked up Grim, cuddling him to her chest. "Why?"

"Because I need to get away from Julian for a night or so," she said. Demons. If she wanted to hang out with demons it was her own fault when they got too much to handle. "William, do you know what's happening? There's something huge going on."

"Like what?"

She sat and leant back against the arm of the couch, letting Grim curl up in her lap. "Like Charles Dray has created a half breed."

"That's not possible."

"_Shouldn't_ be possible, but he did it." William frowned and tilted his head slightly. "And as yet, no one's been able to even see the thing for more than a flash. Do you know, it's killed reapers over in Wales? It's only a matter of times before it figures out London is the biggest hub for reapers within easy reach. We're screwed, Will. It is vicious and well trained, seems to be hunting us and we don't know what mix of traits it has. Can you imagine if he makes more and the _breed_. We won't be able to keep up. We'd become an endangered spices. And what if it doesn't age? What if it has normal human eyes so we can't recognise it? What if it's not short sighted? It could have all these advantages."

"It's not like you to be so worked up, Michelle." She sighed and nodded. "It might also have disadvantages. Humans aren't as strong, fast or resilient as us, they're not known for seeing records, it will be untrained and won't have the knowledge of who it's fighting or how to reach our realm. Also, unless it's taken the scythes of its victims it won't be much of a threat and it's possible it will be venerable to normal human weapons and not just death scythes."

Nodding slowly, Michelle leant his shoulder. "I miss you."

It was purely instinct to reach around her shoulder and rub her arm reassuringly, gently resting against the top of her head. When he thought back to how Michelle and he used to be it was strange to see her so stressed and quiet. It would be cruel to turn her away. William was cold but not cruel.

"You can stay."

"Thank you, Will. I won't get in the way of you and Ronald having your fun."

She went to get up but William pulled her down again. "Before you turn in, you're unusually stressed. This isn't like you. What's happened?"

"Just tired I guess," she said with a soft smile. "Thanks again, Will."

She smiled and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Michelle. What else is going on?"

"I've just been thinking a lot, I guess. You're really lucky to have him, you know?"

William nodded. There were several times it had seemed like there was no way they could continue, but he'd refused to give up and so had Ronald and they'd worked through it. It wasn't exactly easy but he wanted to keep hold of Ronald no matter what. He glanced down at Michelle and realised what she'd actually meant.

"You were good with Sutcliff." She laughed bitterly as she got up. "But you always preferred someone a little more subservient, didn't you? That was why we fell out. "

"Yeah, you decided being a cute little junior wasn't your thing anymore."

"Unlike your butler." A soft pink tint rose to her cheeks and she hung her head, nodding slightly. "You'll find someone else, Michelle. You always do. Nothing ever holds you down for long. And whatever's going on, if it's important, you can tell me. Don't let your pride stop you." Again she nodded. "If there's nothing else, I'm sure Ronald will be getting restless."

"Goodnight, Will. Have fun."

He waited until Michelle had shut the door to the spare room, Grim just about slipping in after her in time not to get his tail trapped, before getting up and heading into the bedroom he shared with Ronald. The little blonde was nowhere to be seen though. There was movement inside the adjoining bathroom and William rattled the handle. It was locked. He frowned.

"It was important then?"

"Very. But it's not so urgent we can't continue from where we left off. What are you up, by the way?"

"Well, I thought you'd want your surprise. Where's Grim?"

"With Michelle."

"She's staying?"

"Just for the night. She's just a bit stressed at the moment. Things are difficult for her. Stop thinking about Michelle and Grim. We've got better things to do."

The door unlocked and William stepped back as Ronald opened the door a crack. "Don't laugh. Or smirk. Or look smug, ok? I mean it. I know you like it when I get embarrassed but seriously. I'm going to kill Grell for this."

William nodded slowly and pushed the door open a little more. The door swung open and Ronald stepped out into the bedroom, his head low and a soft, rosy blush across his cheeks, hands clasped nervously in front of him. William swallowed heavily, his heart rate quickening already. This time Grell had really out done himself. He caught Ronald's wrist, wrapping his arm tightly around his waist and pulling him close against him. Ronald's fingers tangled into his hair and William leant down, capturing his lips in a rough, bruising kiss.

"You're looking smug."

"It's hard not to." William smiled and cupped his cheeks. "You look absolutely adorable."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** I have been trying to upload this _all_ day. ALL bloody day. But it's been being mean. I wasn't even allowed to log in. Stupid computers and internet and stuff. Now, we get to see what Grell's present to Ronald for Will is. Yeah. Seriously, I know you've all seen pictures like this, if you haven't, you're not looking in the right places. I know I saw them and when Mina told me what it was my reaction was 'oh yeah, I've seen those cute pics too'. Oh, and more hint of a certain other couple too. May or may not just be teasing you, we'll see. Thank you for all those lovely reviews darlings, hugs for you all and lets keep them coming.

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><p>Ronald clenched his fists and glared up at William. "I am no <em>absolutely<em> _adorable_!"

He was playing with his gloves nervously, a habit he'd picked up from trying to keep his sleeves over his bandages. These days he'd tug on anything around his wrists when he was nervous. Stepping back slightly, his gaze slowly moving over Ronald. Suddenly it all made sense. The gloves Ronald was playing with were transparent, lacy fingerless ones with frills around the wrist. A small smile came to William's lips noticing Ronald had removed his bracers and bandages. He hated doing that, but William had never liked to see him hiding them. It meant he was uncomfortable with himself, and he'd worked so hard to get Ronald to be happy with himself again. At least he was comfortable enough to take them off when it was only the two of them.

"Grell gave me a pair that would match the outfit," Ronald whispered, seeing his gaze and stopping his nervous tugging. After a brief moment William realised he wasn't talking about his gloves but the bracers. "He's really kind sometimes, you know. He gave them to me the other day, since he knew the birthday was coming up."

William nodded and ran his hand gently through his hair. There was a black Alice band with a big bow on one side in his hair, not doing a lot to hold any hair in place, just looking cute. His gaze continued lower to the little blue dress he was wearing, far too short to be from the human world, which meant someone other than their close circle knew Grell had it. The skirt flared out slightly, probably from a petite coat, and there was a small white apron over it. On his legs, and Ronald did have stunning legs, were over the knee, black and white socks and he had a pair of little black heels.

"You know, there's dormouse who looks a lot like you somewhere around here." Ronald folded his arms and glared up at him. "Don't pout like that, darling, it doesn't help your case."

"Darling?" He smirked and wrapped his arms tightly around Ronald, smothering any protests with a firm kiss. As always, Ronald moaned softly, tangling his fingers into his hair. "You like it then?"

"I do. Although, I think I'll prefer it when it's off though." Ronald blushed and glanced away. "But you do make a beautiful young lady."

"Stop that!"

Before William really knew what he was doing he'd pushed Ronald back against the wall, pinning his wrists either side of his head and capturing his mouth. The little blonde whined and squirmed against him in protest, tugging his wrists in an attempt to get free and slid his hands into his hair. While he could break free if he really wanted to, and of course if he really wanted William to let go he would, he was just being difficult. Ronald was, technically, far stronger than William, he just didn't feels the need use his strength and didn't really have the experience or technique to make the most of it. Releasing one of Ronald's wrists, and Ronald instantly tangled his hand into his hair to pull him closer, William trailed his hand slowly down to his hip, squeezing gently to make Ronald moan wantonly. William smirked and moved his kisses lower to Ronald's neck, Ronald whining and arching his back against him as William slid his hand below the hem of the dress, tracing teasing patterns against his soft, exposed skin, sending shivers even he could feel through Ronald.

"That's not very gentlemanly, boss," he panted.

"You're hardly ladylike, Alice." He bit Ronald's skin gently and the blonde let out a sharp cry, throwing his head back, seeming not to notice William's hand sliding further up his skirt. "And so loud. What will Miss Rose think?"

The blush across Ronald's cheeks deepened and his smirk widened, releasing Ronald's other wrist, wrapping his arm around his waist and pulling him away from the wall. Ronald gave a startled yelp and William pulled him back to the bed. Lucy Rose lived in the apartment above them and was one of the most respected reapers in the country as Head of Internal Maintenance. It was her job to make sure that their laws were followed, rules and regulations relating to work were dealt with by supervisors but she dealt with law breakers. Living above them, she had known they were a couple long before they let the general public know. Ronald was incredibly loud in bed. Anyone living around them had to live with the noise. They were lucky enough to have sound proofed walls and no one lived across the hall anyway but Lucy had to put up with Ronald's noise She didn't seem to mind. Despite the cold, uncaring person she was on the job, she seemed to find Ronald and William's relationship amusing more than anything.

Ronald gave another loud cry as William bit him once more before pushing him back. Stumbling back, he grabbed at William's shirt in a vain attempt to keep his balance but ended up sprawled out on the bed anyway. William tilted his head, moving his gaze over him once more. Those big begging eyes stared up at him expectantly. Well, he couldn't say no to him when he looked so adorable and it was his birthday present.

"Boss," Ronald panted. "Please."

William smiled and leant down over the bed, brushing away a few damp strands of hair sticking to his forehead. Within seconds of coming into reach, Ronald had caught his collar and pulled him down into a heated kiss, slipping one arm around his neck and tangling his fingers into his hair.

"Boss, please. _Please_, get me out of this stuff. Please."

"You're so cute when you beg, Alice."

"Stop calling me that. Boss..." He tossed his head and arched his back as William slid his hand down his thighs and under the skirt again. "Please, William, stop teasing."

His fingers brushed over his rear and Ronald gasped, clenching his fists. "Is that lace, Alice?"

"W-well, it just wouldn't look right i-if I was wearing normal underwear," Ronald stuttered, glancing away and turning even redder. "And the only other option was... not to..."

"Wear any? I think that's the better option." A chuckled and straightened himself up, slowly pulling the white lace underwear down around his ankles, smirking to himself as Ronald shut his eyes and squirmed in embarrassment. "That... is much better, Alice."

"I h-hate y- oh..." Smirking at Ronald's reaction, William slipped the dress up at little higher, stroking his fingers teasingly close to his firm arousal, making him groan and squirm. "I hate you so much sometimes."

"I know."

He slipped out of his shirt once more and pulled open his belt, leaning over to capture his lips once more. Still sensitive from their earlier activities it didn't take long for William to return to full hardness, rubbing against Ronald's entrance, making his little blonde lover cry out desperately, clenching his fists in the sheets. In the back of his mind, William liked to think he was the only one who'd ever made Ronald like react like this. It was unfortunate, but he couldn't escape hearing about the blonde's chequered past. But then, Ronald was watching him with those half lidded, lust clouded eyes under thick lashes, trembling with need. That was all William needed really to know. And he was working through the issues that had kept them apart. He pressed against Ronald's entrance and the little blonde cried sharply.

William's voice was low and hoarse, and he wasn't even trying to restrain himself as he murmured encouragement to the blonde, wanting nothing more than to hear more of those loud pleasured cries, slowly pushing deeper into Ronald's tight unprepared entrance. Honestly, he loved Ronald more than anything. And knowing that Ronald loved him in return was the best thing of all. He knew Ronald had never felt loved before him and honestly, something he'd probably never tell Ronald, in the time between his break up with Michelle, the end of their young academy sweetheart phase, and finding Ronald he'd wondered if it was worth looking for love. It always seemed to just end in more heartache. Ronald gasped and pulled at the sheets, squirming and tossing his head. Normally, William would take his time but he needed Ronald too much to hold on any longer. Ronald moaned another curse and arched up as William gripped his hips, holding him firmly in place until he was where he wanted to be. Trembling and gasping for breath, Ronald closed his eyes, slowly relaxing and easing up.

After a few long minutes, William bucked his hips slightly, forcing a loud curse from Ronald. He ran his hands gently along Ronald's thighs once more as the blonde squeezed his leg around his hips. He groaned softly, every steady, powerful thrust pushing him deeper and making Ronald's moans and cries louder. He leant down and reached slowly under Ronald's back, undoing the lacing on his dress. Within moments he'd slipped the exposing little dress off, looking over the stunning, trembling, half naked body below him for a moment before leaning over him and capturing his lips in a heated, passionate kiss, running his hands over his strong, lean body until Ronald was practically writhing in pleasure.

Ronald almost screamed and tossed his head back, breaking the kiss and arching his back tightly, squeezing around William as he released. Closing his eyes and burying his head in Ronald's neck, William lost all control, making Ronald's voice crack as he pounded into him until he was completely spent and almost collapsed on top of the little blonde in exhaustion. Ronald laughed weakly and tipped his chin up, peck William's lips before lying back and closing his eyes.

"I'm going to go to sleep now."

William smiled and pulled out of him slowly, turning to pick up Ronald's pyjamas and tossing them to him. "Unless you'd like to stay dressed like that, Alice."

"Stop that," Ronald said quietly, kicking off the shoes. "And don't tell anyone about this."

"I'm not the one who tells Sutcliff and Slingby everything that goes on in our lives," William replied. Ronald blushed and lowered his head. "Come on. I think a nice warm shower is in order."

He pulled Ronald from the bed and guided him to bathroom. "It's your birthday, do whatever you want."

"Keep that dress," he said quietly. "It's pretty. It suits you."

"You're so mean."

"I know." He stepped out of his clothes and pushed the now completely naked Ronald back into the shower. They youngster leant against the wall, letting the warm water wash over him, gazing up at William quietly. "But you love it really."

He cupped Ronald's cheeks and kissed his nose then his lips. "Mmm, please, boss. No more. I'm exhausted. I don't think I can take anymore."

"I know, darling," he murmured, cleaning him off gently. "You did a good job." Ronald squirmed slightly as William squirmed a bit of shampoo on his hair, rubbing it in gently. "I don't know what you're complaining about anyway. I was doing most of the work."

"That's just not fair. I wore that stupid dress. And what's with you suddenly calling me darling?"

He frowned and ran his fingers slowly though Ronald's hair, washing out the shampoo. "I don't know, it just feels right. It's not a problem, is it?"

"No," Ronald said quickly, shaking his head as William brushed his hair from his eyes, not that Ronald's movement made it easy. "It's nice. I like it. It was just a bit confusing, that's all, it came out of nowhere and it was just kind of... It's nice."

William nodded and gently moved Ronald against the wall again, capturing his lips and pressing his body against him. Ronald squeaked and moaned, tangling his fingers into his hair. They were both tired and both needed to work the next day, but with Ronald in his arms, trembling slightly and panting heavily, he really didn't care about needing to go to bed or what they should have been doing.

"Will," he panted. William smirked and trailed his kisses down his jaw and throat, loving the way Ronald arched slightly and gripped his hair, moaning softly. "...oh... William..."

"Are you sure you're too tired for another go?"

Ronald moaned quietly. As a general rule, Ronald didn't particularly like to have sex in the shower. It had surprised William when he'd found out, he'd never had any problem with it, he didn't really understand why Ronald did. The blonde had never had any problems with showering together and he hardly kept his hands to himself. Apparently he'd just never had particularly good experiences with it, something William had been certain to change. Finally, Ronald nodded and grinned.

"Let's do it."

* * *

><p>Grell pulled on the Undertaker's sleeve, staring up at body above them. He hadn't wanted to come out the middle of nowhere in this weird fog with three people he didn't <em>really<em> like, and now there was a _body_. Of course, he liked a bit of blood and death, but a body hanging off a tree branch was not his idea of a fun time. Peter frowned and the Undertaker swung his scythe, cutting the rope and letting the body drop to the ground.

"I get the feeling you're not making a big deal out of collecting this body because it's humans being stupid."

"Afraid not, my lady," the Undertaker said. Mark strode over and opened one of the body's eyes. "Mark?"

"Reaper." Standing slowly, he turned and shook his head. "He was dead long before he was strung up though. At least, I'd think so. I'm not an expert like you." He nodded and Grell stepped forwards. He recognised him, he was young. Barely out of the academy. "And left out on show like that? It's hardly discreet."

"The half breed?" Grell said."Why would it-"

Peter glanced over. "You really haven't been talking to Michelle much recently, have you? There's a group of demons, a large group of demons, trying to get the others to join with them and wipe out or enslave all reapers."

"It's an impossible task," the Undertaker chuckled. "We cannot be completely removed. There's always going to be more, but it won't stop them trying."

"So they're just going to keep killing? Why don't we know about this yet? Why aren't we dealing with this?"

"Because currently they're keeping quiet," Peter snapped. "You haven't heard about this half breed yet. I'm sure as soon as the higher ups find out they'll attempt something."

He helped Mark pick up the body and dumping it in a coffin in the back of the Undertaker's carriage. The Undertaker frowned. "Be careful, boys. Try to be respectful of the dead."

"We'll head home, Undertaker," Peter said. "We need to report in."

The Undertaker nodded and Mark waved as he ran after Peter. Grell waved back as he disappeared from sight. Well, Mark wasn't the worst of the bunch, he wasn't too bad. Normally he'd dislike anyone who was a challenge to Alan for Eric's love. They were the perfect couple after all.

They'd started out at complete opposite ends of the personality scale. Eric had been a cold, promiscuous arrogant jerk with friends to match and who's attitude meant his supervisors before William hadn't trusted him with any difficult work, which only made him worse, and Alan had been a sweet, quite, virginal student, given to him to coach through his exams. If there was one thing Grell loved it was romance and he'd seen it coming from a mile off. It was obvious. Two such different reapers, from different ends of the scale, forced together like that? It was always going to end in romance. They'd taken their sweet time about it, even once the laws allowed them to be together and Eric had got Alan's boyfriend out the way, and Grell was beginning to think he was wrong, especially when Eric and his friends had been talking about sleeping with Alan for a bet. He was just about to give up when, after spending the night with Eric and the morning alone in hospital, Alan told him he never wanted to see Eric again. Only, just to confuse him, and prove him right, when he'd gone in again that evening, Eric was on the hospital bed next to Alan with the little brunette dozing with his head on his lap. It was a classic romance.

Mark was different though. He admitted to being absolutely, madly in love with Eric but he didn't want to steal him from Alan. In fact, he pushed him to stay with Alan. When they'd fallen out, when Eric was hiding out after faking his death, he'd pushed Eric and Alan to make up again. Grell had asked him why once. He doubted he was the only one. It was simple, according to Mark, and something Grell felt a great deal of sympathy for. Alan made Eric happy. Eric loved him, so Mark stood aside to let them be happy. It was the same with Grell. Obviously, he loved William, but Ronald made him happy. William didn't seem to see it the same way, he said there was never any chance he'd manage to steal him from Ronald even if he tried, but Grell didn't believe him.

The Undertaker shut up the coffin and locked the back of the carriage. Wandering over, giggling slightly, he offered Grell his hand to help him up onto the carriage. Glancing over, he took the Undertakers hand, letting him help up and settled on the seat as The Undertaker climbed up next to him.

"Not the most fun you've had in London, I'm sure," he chuckled. Grell folded his arms, shivering slightly as the cold night air of the human world rushed through him. The Undertaker giggled and slipped a robe around his shoulder. "It never hurts to be a gentleman, does it, my dear. I did bring you out here, after all. I'm sure you've got better things to do than pick up my clients."

"I've had worse first dates," he grumbled.

The mad giggling brought home how that sounded and he glared over at the older reaper. He hadn't meant it like that! He meant that he'd been on first dates that worse than this not that it was a... He sighed and shook his head as the Undertaker calmed down to quiet chuckles.

"You're rather forward, my dear. I don't even remember asking you on a date." Grell groaned and buried his head in his hands. "Or am I merely being senile again?"

"I didn't mean it like that and you know it, you old loon." He folded his arms and glared over. "Take me home."

"Of course."

He set the pair of horses off at a gentle, steady trot down the country lane back towards London. Grell shivered against and pulled the Undertaker's robes tighter around him, covering his legs. It smelled woody too. He'd expected it to smell like death, even if the funeral parlour hadn't. He'd thought it was the coffins that made it smell that way but why would his clothes too?

"Where do you keep these horses?"

"Around the back." He looked at her like it was obvious. "I pay a child to look after them. He does a wonderful job. I have three in case one's ill. She's at home right now. Don't tell these two, but she's my favourite." He chuckled and Grell frowned. There was something almost sad in his eyes. "She reminds me of someone I knew, a long time ago. I called her Claudia."

"A girlfriend?"

They stopped suddenly and the Undertaker slipped off the carriage, offering Grell his hand. "Time to go home, I would think, my lady. Keep the coat, bring it back to me tomorrow. I wouldn't want you to catch a cold."

Grell jumped down and glared up at him. Ignoring his question. The nerve. He pulled the robes off handed it to him. "I don't need you charity. I'll be fine on my own."

"As you wish. Do be careful, my lady."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** I'm surprising myself, I'm getting one up pretty much every two or three days. Awesome. And in this chapter, guess what, Ronnie's in trouble again. I'm noticing a pattern here. Well, when you're that cute people think you're an easy target. He's so cute. Also, I'm going to blame any alternate character interpretations on therapy and the few months of time skip, since I have slightly different views on the characters than Mina, while trying to not go against what she's already established. So, on with the chapter. Big hugs to all you who reviewed and big hugs forever who reviews this chapter.

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><p>William opened his eyes slowly to Grim's loud meows. There was a quiet voice outside the door and Grim fell silent. At least having Michelle here had its uses. He smiled slightly and let his eyes slide shut once more, slowly stroking his fingers across the small of Ronald's back. Underneath the pyjama top there were ugly scars from a sadistic teacher. William hated that man, just like he hated everyone who hurt Ronald. That was another thing William was guilty about. He'd spoken to the man who'd done it. Ronald had been right there with him and asked him why. Why him? Why him out the two hundred or so reapers who'd started in his year alone? Richard had said it was because he was pretty boy who needed to learn his place, he had no right to have looks <em>and<em> intelligence and people would never love him for who he was, just the way he looked. And that had shaped the majority of Ronald's life until William had confronted him about it. What Richard had told him was where the guilt came from. When asked why it was him, not any other the other good looking, smart boys who were in the academy at the same time, he'd said it was because William had a thing for him since he saw him and he wanted to hurt him.

Ronald had offered himself to William several times before they were a couple, usually when drunk or extremely tired and requiring William to help him home. It took all William's self control not to take advantage of his impaired state, but he managed. He resisted every time because for some reason he couldn't understand at the time, Ronald honestly believe no one was nice to him without wanting something from him. He'd wanted Ronald for years but he'd always told himself that he wouldn't _ever_ take advantage of Ronald's obvious problems, his relationships were serious, he didn't want one night stands and sexual favours as some kind of payment for being kind. If he ever got with Ronald he'd promised himself that Ronald had to be as serious about it as he was.

Ronald shifted in his arms and nuzzled against his chest, making William's smile widen slightly. He'd come such a long way. He'd settled and become so much more comfortable. He ran his hands slowly over Ronald's body. The blonde giggled quietly and squirmed. Unlike every other partner William had been with, he was the fifth, Ronald cuddled. He loved to be close to him, or anyone else really. Especially when he was feeling unwell or depressed, he would cuddle up as close as he could to anyone at hand, even Grell. Much as William tried not to let it show, he still got incredibly jealous when Ronald sat next to Eric and leant against him. It wasn't crossing the boundaries he'd laid down about how intimate he was allowed to be with Eric, he didn't want change everything between them, but it still made him jealous. The problem was it was usually at work where William tried not to treat Ronald any differently from the others.

"What are you thinking about?"

"We should get up," William said.

"That's a stupid answer," Ronald murmured. "Stay here. I'm all stiff and sore, you were kind of rough and... _excitable."_

"I'm sorry, but I didn't exactly hear you complaining." He returned his hands to the small of Ronald's back, rubbing gently. "You were just so adorable."

Ronald giggled softly and buried his head in William's chest once more. Wrapping his arms around him, William nuzzled into Ronald's hair. _His_ beautiful Ronald. Who cared about getting up, lying in bed with Ronald suited him just fine. He closed his eyes and relaxed, starting to drift off, perfectly content with Ronald. After everything they'd been through it was good to just lie there quietly and peacefully. He stroked his hair gently and Ronald leant into his touch.

"We should get up."

"We're not working until tonight," Ronald whispered. "Why bother? You want to stay with me, don't you?"

"Of course," William replied.

"Will!" Grell cried bursting in the door. "Good morning, you two love birds!" Groaning slightly, William opened on eye, turning to glare at him drowsily as he climbed up onto the bed. The redhead's weight pulled at the covers and William grabbed them back, pulling them up over him and Ronald. "Did you two have fun last night?"

William groaned. "Why are you in my room, Sutcliff?"

"Our room," Ronald growled.

"The question stands. And I thought you were asleep."

"I am."

"And I'm in here because you stole my Ronnie from me last night so I had to hang out with the Undertaker in this stupid morgue," Grell snapped. "Not only did I have to hang out with that crazy old loon, but Mark and Peter showed up and we ended up going to pick up some poor junior from some creepy hollow where he'd been killed and left hung up. Then, I ended up putting my foot in my mouth and making it sound like it was a date." He groaned and leant down, resting his shoulder against William's shoulder only to be shoved off and onto the floor. "Will!"

"Shh, Grell, I'm sleeping," Ronald murmured.

"Oh, you're _always_ sleeping." He squealed suddenly and William released Ronald to sit up on his elbows. In Grell's hands was the little blue dress. He stood up and held it up against him. "Did you like it, Will? It's not my colour, but I knew it would suit Ronnie and since he's getting better I figured you guys would be using this. Did you enjoy yourself? And where's the rest of the outfit?"

"Make him shut up, boss."

"Awww! You two are _soooo_ adorable!" he squealed, dancing on the spot. William sighed and turned to Ronald, who was blushing furiously. "Oh, look at you blushing, Ronnie! You did use it, didn't you?"

"Get out, Sutcliff. Go on bother Michelle."

"What? Why?"

"Out!"

He pouted for a moment before storming out and slamming the door. Barely wasting a moment, William leant down and captured Ronald's lips firmly. Ronald squeaked in surprise but quickly settled into the kiss, tilting his head back as William kissed gently down his throat and jaw, wrapping his arms around his shoulder and gripping his hair.

"What's got into you recently?"

Chuckling softly, William kissed his lips once more. "You... you're so damn adorable..."

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><p>"It's so cute, Shelly!" Grell squealed. "And you!" She glared over and Michelle barely looked up from her coffee. "What is with you being so cold and mean? You haven't called in a visited in ages! And what's with you stay here? What's going on? The Undertaker told me about what's going o-" Ronald gave a loud curse from the bedroom and Michelle smiled. "-on, and why the hell haven't you told us?"<p>

"Firstly, it's not _that_ cute when he has been yelling like that _all_ night." Another shrill cry tore through the air. "Secondly, I don't want to talk about it because it's not important to you."

"Ronald isn't in any shape to be handling the crap this is going to bring up."

"We have bigger issues than Ronald."

Grell frowned and glared at her as she finally lifted her gaze. "He's not the same, you know. Everyone says he's better, that he's over the worst of it, but everyone but Will seems to gloss over how he still has bad days. He still struggles sometimes. Do you know how Will tailors his death list? He doesn't let him do anything involving anyone who's been raped, or suicides, he does everything he can to protect him."

"He has to face it," Michelle said. "It's not going to do him any good to hide away. You saw what those demons did, and this half breed is brutal. He needs to be ready for anything. It's going to hurt. When it happens it's going to be a mess, sort him out. Do you know how reapers are made, Grell?"

"You know?" Grell said, ignoring more of Ronald's swearing. "I didn't think anyone knew. Do you think they'll mind if I have a peak?"

"Probably. And of course I know, the Undertaker told me ages ago, but it's a secret, isn't it?"

"So why'd you bring it up?"

Before she could answer a green porthole appeared in the middle of the room and Madeline with pushed through with Eric and Alan following. Grim bounded over and climbed up onto the couch to nuzzle Madeline's hand. The girl squealed and picked up Grim, squeezing him tight and cuddling up into his fur.

"Kids are exhausting," Eric groaned, slumping against the wall. "How do you manage?"

"She's not so bad, she's getting there," Michelle said. "I mean, I doubt she's much younger than Alan's body. Maybe a year or two. Speaking of which... Spare bedroom, you two, we need to talk."

"Ok," Alan said.

"One second." She strode over to the master bedroom door and banged on it. "Finish up quickly, you two, and then get out here, we need to talk."

"Go away!" Ronald cried.

"Grim," she called softly. He jumped down and ran over as Michelle opened the door just enough to let him scurry in and she shut it quickly behind him. "That should have them up soon. Come on, my darlings. Bedroom. Give me five minutes, Grell, then you can barge in on them."

"Alright!"

He jumped up onto the kitchen counter, watching the bedroom door. Poor Ronald did still have bad days, though in the past months they'd become less and less regularly. He was always struggling but they were all helping him through. There were days William had barely managed to get him out of bed, when he'd sink into a deep depression of some unfounded guilt and self pity. Grell only found out because he talked to Alan and Alan worried about them so talked to the others. Apparently Alan was the only mature one of the bunch so he was the only one William really talked to about his worries, because he claimed he couldn't have a serious conversation with the others. That was a load of bull as far as Grell could see, Eric and William might not have seen eye to eye but they both cared for Ronald. If William wanted to talk about Ronald's problems, Eric would listen and offer any help he could.

Most the time he seemed his normal perky self though, eager to please, and bright, smiley and playful, like there was nothing wrong with the world, anywhere, past, present or future. Grell wasn't sure that was good for him mental health, but figured he probably wasn't the best qualified to talk about it so left it to William and Ronald's therapist, Dr Green. He helped where he could, but it was William who needed to help him through the most.

Madeline came over and stared up at him. "What is it, kid?"

"Why's everyone so worried about Ronnie?" Madeline said. "I thought he was better now."

"He is." Frowning slightly, he patted her head. "But we haven't really pushed him yet. We don't know how he'll react to too much stress."

"If I was Ronnie, I wouldn't want everyone babying me."

"How old are you?"

"Almost fourteen."

"You're really childish."

"I'm cute."

"I've heard that before. It's the cute ones you want to watch out for, they have a nasty habit of pulling out swords."

The door opened and Michelle, Eric and Alan came out. Michelle didn't look happy. "You promise?"

"Yeah, of course," Eric said. "Don't worry about it."

She raised her voice slightly. "Grell, you can go and visit Ronald an-"

"We're up, don't you dare," William snapped, coming out the bedroom. Just a step or so behind him, Ronald was pulling on one of William's t-shirts and Grim trotting along behind them. "You lot couldn't leave us alone, could you? Why are you back anyway, Michelle? What's going on?"

Ronald laughed and wrapped his arms around William's chest, burying his head in his shoulder. "Come on, boss, coffee first. Hey, Maddie."

"Ronnie!" she cried, throwing her arms around his waist, following him as set the kettle. "Are you better yet?"

"Yeah," he said gently. "I'm fine. Do you want something to drink? Hot chocolate?"

"Oooh, yes please."

Ronald grinned and patted her head as William turned to Michelle. "What's going on? You have to fill us in on everything. We can't afford to be out of the loop."

Michelle nodded and sat on the couch. William sat at the other end and, once he'd finished the coffees and Madeline's hot chocolate, Ronald slipped up onto his lap and Grim joined them. Grell sat between William and Michelle while Eric Alan and Madeline sat in the pair of armchairs. After a long moment, Michelle sighed and explained to the others what the Undertaker had told Grell about the night before. The half breed and the demons killing reapers maliciously and Grell noticed William's arms wrapped around Ronald protectively as she continued.

"Shouldn't we warn the higher ups?" Alan said. "I mean, there has to be something we can, right?"

"We don't have nearly enough information," Michelle replied. "There's nothing to be done."

Ronald tilted his head slightly and William patted his arm. "Can't we just warn people at least?"

"With what proof?" Eric said. "We all know from experience that lot don't listen unless you've got proof. We'll just have to be careful and wait for proof, won't we?"

"Ronnie!" Madeline said, tugging on his sleeve. "Ronnie, can we go out? I haven't seen you in ages."

"Alright, alright," Ronald said, getting up. "Come on."

"You too, Mr Alan," she said grabbing Alan's hand and pulling him up.

He nodded and Michelle waved her hand opening a porthole for them. Grell jumped up and went with them. Only Michelle and Eric were capable of using portholes. Apparently, all reapers had ability to do so but were only taught as part of retraining for the Midnight Branch. Other reapers were stuck using the portholes in the basement of the office building. They were always open and went to set destinations, involved signing in and out and were always guarded. Having Eric and Michelle able to create portholes was incredibly useful.

They stepped out into a wood just outside London. It was so cool in the human world. Grell frowned. It was near the weird hollow were they'd found the body last night. Madeline grabbed Ronald's hand and ran off into the woods with Alan strolling along behind them. It was nice to be out of the heat of the reaper realm no matter what had happened the night before.

There was a snap behind Grell and he turned. "Hello?"

"Grell!" Madeline called. "Come on. Let's go."

He frowned and glanced around. A cold shiver ran down his spine and he could have sworn something moved in the shadows of the forest. He shook his head and turned to run after them. It was probably just a bird or something. The others weren't too far ahead. Grell glanced over his shoulder once more before running after them.

"Maddie!" Ronald called. "Don't go running off. You'll get lost."

"Come on, Ronnie!" Madeline called back. "Keep u- ah!"

"Maddie!"

There was a crash and crack of wood, drowning out Ronald and Alan yelling. Grell sighed. What had the kid done now? Probably tripped and fallen down some ditch. He sped up, avoiding the roots and branches as he went. Ronald and Alan both cried out in agony and Madeline screamed. This couldn't be good. He sped up, his heart pounding as he ran. William and Eric would kill him if anything happened to Ronald and Alan. And he'd left his death scythe back in the reaper realm.

"Ronnie! Alan!"

He broke into a clearing and came to a stop as the ground dropped away in a steep hill, with a raging river at the bottom, jagged rocks at the bottom. Ronald, Alan and Madeline were nowhere to be seen. He skidded down to the edge of the river, resisting the urge to shake off the mud. Finding Ronald and Alan was more important right now. He called for them again and after a few moments of silence, he got an answer.

"Grell!"

"I'm coming," Grell cried running in the direction of the call.

The river turned a corner and back into the woods, the side as steep as ever and a broken tree hanging over into the water. And there were Ronald and Alan. Along with a bunch of men and women Grell didn't recognise. Ronald and Alan would have been fine of their own under normal circumstances. Ronald was still rather inexperienced and young but he was trained by the best seniors, if Grell did say so himself, and had been through more than most, and Alan was quick, technically sound and very smart, if a little physically weaker than most. But there were at least a dozen or so opponents and none of them had brought their scythes.

"Ronnie!" Madeline cried.

Grell glanced up. She was in the clutches of a tall, blonde woman. She smirked and adjusted her glasses, eyes flashing red for a moment. Humans weren't worth the time to saving as far as Grell could see. Kids were all cute and sweet, but they were too curious, too talkative and messy. Grell wanted children, but without the hassle. Besides, the lives of humans were just a flash in the pan compared to that of a reaper. They'd been trained and conditioned not to care about humans, they were just a job. They got in trouble for killing them not for the waste of life but for not obeying the death list. They were like toys more than anything but some people thought they had rights and were worth looking after. He didn't know why Ronald and Alan were so attached to her anyway. Alan had always been like that. So soft and compassionate to everyone. He expected better of Ronald. He flirted and toyed with mortal men and women mercilessly before he got with William. He still did when William wasn't around, just to for the amusement of it, he just didn't take it any further anymore. Apparently it was kids that made Ronald go all soft. Not surprising. Lots of reapers had issues dealing with children and babies.

Ronald pulled a pair of knives from their sheaths on his belt. For his birthday this year, William had got him them to be used only when off duty and _not_ on humans. For self defence purposes only. He supposed it was to help him feel safer after the brutal attack to constantly have a pair of scythes on him. Ronald snarled leapt for the blonde. She laughed and danced aside, dodging his attacks with stunning grace and ease, even with the struggling Madeline in her arms. The others were simply watching as Ronald slashed up with one knife, finally catching the side of the blonde's neck and sending blood spurting out over Madeline and Ronald, and a record snapped out, heading straight for Ronald. He cut the record with an easy swipe and darted forwards, catching Madeline as the blonde women fell from the broken tree, crumpling on the rocks in the raging river.

"What the hell is going on?" Grell snarled.

"They just came out of nowhere and grabbed Maddie," Alan said, gazing up at him. "I think they're demons but you can't really sense them like demons and they seem different. Get down here, Ronald."

One of the group looked up and slowly strode alone the fallen log toward Ronald, smirking slightly. "Ronald? Ronald Knox? Even better. Get rid of those two, capture them if it's easy but they're unimportant so don't waste your time. This one's mine."

"Stay behind me, Maddie," Ronald said, pushing her back, tightening his grip on his knives as a small, sadistic smirk came to his lips. Grell grinned, he loved seeing the darker side of Ronald come out, rare as it was these days. "Come and get me, demon, if you think you can manage."

"Oh, demon? Is that what you think we are?"

"Ronald, be careful- ah!" Grell yanked Alan back as the demons came at them. "Grell!"

"You know Ronnie can handle himself, _he's_ got a death scythe going one on one and we haven't and we've got... fifteen demons."

A pair of demons came at them and Grell jumped away as Alan ducked aside, stumbling into the stream as the other demons spilt up into three groups, one coming after each of them and one watching Ronald fighting. Grell was forced to turn his attention away from the younger pair, struggling to dodge away from demons attacking and lunging back. He was hardly defenceless without his death scythe, they were taught to fight hand to hand in case their scythes were knocked away.

"Maddie!"

"Ronald, no."

Grell turned to just in time to see Alan running after Ronald, holding his arm awkwardly against his chest. The lead demon grabbed Ronald and twisted one of his scythes from his hand, driving it into his shoulder and drawing a pained scream before throwing it towards Grell. He stepped back and the scythe stuck in a nearby tree. Grasping the handle he tugged it from the wood and turned, ready to slash apart the demons but he was completely alone apart from the body of the blonde. The blood in the water was quickly rushing away and Grell gave an exhausted sigh, glancing at Ronald's blood on the scythe. He was _so_ dead when William and Eric found out about this.

He glanced over at the blonde. Maybe this was the group of demons they'd been warned about. Why would the lead demon seem so interested in Ronald though? Grell frowned then waded carefully through the river, almost losing his footing several times, before reaching the broken body and picking her up. He'd take it to the Undertaker, he'd know what to do.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Two chapters in two days, go me! Who said hospital waiting rooms were useless and boring? Now, umm, this chapter isn't so nice and cute. You've had nice and cute, and I'm sorry, but you know how it goes, you get cuteness and then the actual plot kicks in and Ronald gets a concussion and it's all down hill from there. I'm terribly sorry about this. Anyway, thank you for the reviews, and please keep them coming. Oh yeah, and I've just noticed/remembered. There's bad language in this chapter. See? Just down there in the second line or so. Mina doesn't like swearing, I don't mind it but tend to use it dotted around for emphisis. Anyway, yes, once again, reviews, please and thank you.

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><p>"Ronald, stop," Alan whimpered. Shaking his head quickly, Ronald laid Alan back on the cold, damp ground. "Ronald, please."<p>

Ronald stared down at him for a moment, gently brushing away his tears. "Stop moving. You'll hurt yourself even more." He pulled back Alan's sleeve and lifted his arm ever so slightly, making Alan whine and attempt to push him away. "Shit, Alan, I think it's broken." One of their captors walked passed and Ronald jumped up, running to the bars of the door and grabbing the man's sleeve. "H-hey, please, wait." The man glanced down at him and sneered. Ronald swallowed heavily and shrank back a little and the man's eyes soften slightly. That was always a good sign playing the dumb kid would work. "Please, my friend's hurt, he needs help."

"Tough luck, kid. You reapers are pretty resilient anyway, I'm sure you'll manage."

"Please," he cried. "Just an ice pack or something to help stop the swelling or-or something for the pain. He's really hurt." He let tears fill his eyes and the man looked about ready to break. "Please, he's my best friend. I don't know what to do."

The man frowned watching him for a moment, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a key. The door groaned as he swung it open as he stepped in and Alan whimpered, watching carefully as he moved over where he was lying. Ronald glanced at the door. The hinges were only accessible when the door was open, the rest of the time the time they were hidden by well placed edges. He glanced over at Alan for a moment before pulling the pins from the hinges, slipped them into his pocket then ran over and sat with them.

"Try to relax and breathe deeply," the man said quietly.

He gently lifted Alan's arm and Alan grabbed Ronald's hand, squeezing tightly and biting his lip hard enough to draw blood. He squeezed back gently and the man frowned, gently lying Alan's arm back against his chest.

"That's broken I'm afraid, although, there are two bones in your forearm, it looks like you've only broken one of them," he said, shaking his head. "You reapers heal yourselves quickly though."

"Yeah, but if it's not in the right place it'll heal wrong and I'll have to have it reset," Alan cried.

"Calm down, Alan," Ronald said gently, squeezing his hand. "It's alright, I'm supposed to protect you. I promised Eric I'd always protect you."

"You're just a child," the demon said. "You both are."

"But if we don't look after each other we're no good to anyone. Protecting Alan gives me something to fight for. Everyone else says we're just kids but as long as we keep trying to protect each other, nothing's going to stop me."

He smirked and whipped out a knife from his pocket, driving it straight into the heart of the demon. It wasn't a death scythe like the other pair, but it was good enough. The demon hissed and Ronald shot forwards, tackling him to the ground. His shoulder was screaming where the lead demon had pushed the scythe in as he was thrown across into the far wall. The demon gasped, pressing his hand to his heart, trying to stem the flow of blood. Ronald pushed off the wall, driving his knee into his stomach, shifting his grip on the knife as the demon doubled over and drove the blade straight into his spine. Without even pausing, he lifted his knee, catching the demons chin and knocking him back as Ronald lashed across his throat, sending blood spurting across him before finally leaving him in a heap on the floor. Alan was staring up at him as he turned, looking pale and shaken.

"What's going on with you, Ronald?" he whispered. "You're not normally this vicious."

"It'll keep him down for now." He knelt down and cut off some of the demon's shirt before returning to Alan's side and pulling out the pins from the door. They'd have to do for now. Not being the best at first aid, he struggled to get Alan's arm lined up and use the pins as a splint, tying them in place with the cut off fabric then making a rough sling. "How does that feel?"

"Alright, I think. We need to get out of here quickly though." He nodded and helped Alan up as gently as he could. "Really, Ronald, what's happened? Why are you suddenly so-"

"I was always like this, Alan," he said gently. "It's usually only Grell who sees it though."

"I knew you could get a bit carried away but really?"

"I'm fine, Al, I promise, come on, let's go before he wakes up. Tell me if your arm starts hurting."

He caught Ronald's hand as he they ran out and down the hallways. Somehow, they had to find Madeline, Ronald's scythe and a way out all without bumping into more demons and getting into anymore of a mess. With Alan in agony every time he moved his arm, Ronald had to take responsibility.

Alan stared up at Ronald as they ran, struggling to keep up with the blood soaked blonde. It was actually starting to scare him how Ronald was fighting so recklessly. Reapers were trained to be merciless killers, they were supposed to be cold and calculated in battle so they didn't make silly mistakes but Grell and Eric had trained him to take pleasure from fighting. They had taught him it was good to be calculating and smart but doing something you didn't enjoy meant you did a half assed job. Ronald got a bit excited and carried away sometimes, he was young and impulsive after all, and he liked to prove he was as strong and useful as the others but he'd never seen him like this before. Then again, he didn't work with him often, he worked with Eric and Ronald went with Grell or William depending on the day.

"Ronald."

"We can talk later, Alan, please," Ronald called over his shoulder. "We have to hurry."

Perhaps this was just a side effect of the brutality that had been forced upon him by Marcus earlier in the year. He hadn't faced anything beyond day to day work since then, and even then his work was tailored to keep Ronald out of dangerous or distressing situations, and he went through ongoing therapy. Maybe this was simply him lashing out for the first time in months and finally being able to get out his frustration, anger and fear that he'd had to work through.

They stumbled on and there were footsteps behind them. Ronald turned and pulled him into his chest, out the way of whoever was coming, jolting his arm slightly and muffling his pained yelp with his hand.

"Boys," Michelle snapped. Ronald jumped and Alan bit his lip as he caught his arm again. "Come on."

"But Maddie," Ronald argued. "And my scythe."

Michelle frowned and nodded. "I'll get Maddie. They keep weapons in the room at the end of that hall." She pointed in the direction she'd come from. "When you're done, head down there." She nodded down the hall they'd been going down. "Straight to the end then left and carry on straight until you get to a road. I'll meet you there. Don't wait, I won't, and don't get caught."

Ronald nodded and Michelle ran passed them. "Hey, how did you find us?"

"Followed my demon."

She vanished from view and Ronald turned to Alan. "Ronald-"

"You should go on ahead," he said quickly. "You're hurt worse than I am. You should go and I'll grab my scythe. Grell should have the other one. I'll meet you out there."

"Ronald, I can't just leave you here," he cried.

"Yes, you can," he said, cupping his cheeks. "Go on. You're hurt and can't fight too well, I'll manage on my own. The longer we spend arguing, the more chance we have of being found. If I'm caught, you'll know how to get back and you can bring Eric and William and Grell back here. Go on."

Alan gazed up at him for a long moment before hugging him tightly with his good arm and pressing his lips to his cheek. "Be careful."

"Of course. Go on."

He turned and, despite every instinct telling him he should stay and help Ronald and that something was about to go horribly wrong, ran for the exit. They'd be ok, wouldn't they? Ronald would be ok. In the mood he was in he doubted anything could stand in Ronald's way. Well, he _hoped_.

Alan turned the corner and there was a set of stairs with light at the top. He was home free. A scream stopped him dead at the foot of the stairs though. Ronald. He half turned to run to help him but his arm gave a painful throb and footsteps came pounding down the hallway towards him. Much as it pained him, Ronald was right, he had to get out, he could be the only one who could guide Eric, William and Grell here to save Ronald. He wasn't much use the way he was. There was no way he could take on a large group of demons with his scythe and at full strength, never mind unarmed with a broken limb. So, he took the only sensible option and bolted up the stairs towards the daylight, and freedom. He ran as fast as he could through the woods, his arm in blinding agony as he stumbled and tripped, but he kept running as straight as he could for the road.

"Alan," Ronald called. He stopped and spun on his heel, his pounding heart slowing slightly. Ronald was ok! "Alan..."

He was in pain. Alan could hear it in his voice. Without giving himself time to second guess, he ran back towards the underground lair, where he could just about make out Ronald's figure staggering up the stairs. He stepped down a few stairs and reached out his hand for Ronald to help him up.

Suddenly his eyes flashed red in the darkness and Alan's eyes flew wide. Demon. He whipped around so fast his arm flared in pain once more, forcing him to stifle a scream, and he bolted, tearing through the forest once more. He could hear the demon behind him gaining quickly. His heart hammered against his chest as he tripped and stumbled through the under growth. How far was this road? A voice in his head demanded he just kept running until he got there and not stop for anything.

"Well, aren't you rather resourceful? Espacing like that..."

Alan dug his heels into the ground, trying to stop before he slammed into the demon suddenly in front of him. The demon smirked and sidestepped gracefully at the last second, tipping him and sending tumbling to the ground, right onto his broken arm.

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><p>"Do you really not know what we are, Ronald?"<p>

Ronald backed up against the wall, watching the lead demon with wide eyes, doing his best to look completely nonthreatening despite being covered in blood and a having been in a vicious fight with him earlier. Another two demons were guarding the door and all Ronald could do bide his time. The lead demon was a tall, black haired man with cold blue eyes that seemed to _burn_ straight into his soul. He smiled in an almost tender way and approached slowly, tossing Ronald's off duty scythe in his hand. Trembling visibly, Ronald lowered his head only for the demon to flick his wrist and toss the scythe at him. The blade slammed into the wall next to his ear with a dull thud.

"Don't be scared, I don't want to hurt you," he said gently, stopping at a safe distance, as if trying to make sure he was comfortable with the space between them. "I only stabbed you earlier to subdue you. Would like me to take care of it for you?"

Ronald grabbed the scythe from the wall and tightened his grip, glaring over. "You stay away from me, demon."

"Demon? Again? I'm not a demon, silly." Again there was that tender smile and he took a cautious step forwards.

"_She_ was. Her eyes-"

"Yes, yes, but _I'm_ not. _We're_ not. Please, Ronald, look at my eyes." He lifted his glasses to rest on top of his head and leant forwards slightly, letting Ronald have a clear view of his eyes. He gasped and pressed back against the wall. His eyes had the double iris and a silver glint to the blue. "Do you see?"

"You- you're-" A quick glance at the other two in the room revealed the same. One was a short, redhead with sharp brown eyes with a bronze glint and an average, and maybe a little chubby or perhaps just muscled, it was hard to tell under the big coat he was wearing, blonde with normal green and gold reaper eyes. "Half breeds..."

"We prefer the term hybrid. Half breed makes us sound like some kind of freaks," he replied. "We're not, we're merely a new generation, if it helps ease your worries. You see, while we have many traits of reapers, we have one very important human trait. We can breed." Ronald breath caught and he stared up at him. "However, there are demons attempting to control us. Breeding will take too long, since it still requires nine months and then brining up the child. We need create more to be able to fight for ourselves."

"What do you want me for?"

He smiled and shot forwards, pinning Ronald to the wall, his scythe held up above his head and absolutely useless. He gently stroked Ronald's cheek, leaning in slightly. "Because, the demons used an already made up serum and Dray's notes to create us in an attempt to control us, only now, there is no more serum."

"And? I don't know how he did it. If demons are you problem, why not just ask the reapers for help?" Ronald cried. "We hate demons, we would help."

"And then kill us," he snapped. "You're the answer. That's why we need you. That's why we brought you here, and your friend. We need you to help us."

"I don't know anything! Look at me. Do I look smart to you? I'm good at fighting and I'm cute. Those are my two qualities."

"They used you as bait for other reapers, you must have something else of importance."

Ronald shook his head quickly. "I'm sleeping with my boss, that's the only way I've even got the job I have. I don't know how to help you, you have to believe me. I don't know why you think I would."

There was a long moment of silence. The leader gazed down at him and Ronald turned away as best he could, forcing away the painful memories that being forced into such close contact brought up. He wasn't going to break down, not again. He was supposed to be getting better. Finally, he caught Ronald's chin gently between his thumb and index finger, guiding him around to stare up at him once more.

"I expected something very different from the notes," he whispered, so quite Ronald could barely hear him. "You were the one who made it all work. Because of you, we exist. You were the one who made us possible. You're a part of us, like... if we're a new generation, you're like our father. None of the other experiments worked, but yours did." Ronald let out a trembling breath, his eyes widening slightly as he realised what he was saying. The blood Charles Dray had taken from him had somehow worked and made a human and reaper hybrid. He really was a part of them. "I always thought you'd be some sort of rebellious, powerful reaper, his notes said you were constantly having to be tied down and watched over by demons. Instead, I find we were created using a stupid, childish little brat. Why should I believe that? If you won't help you're no use anymore. We'll do it ourselves."

"I'm sorry, I can't help you, I don't know anything. He said my results were out because I was so young. If I could help you believe me I would."

"Never mind..." He stepped back and Ronald leant back against the wall, watching the trio carefully. Even if he beat one or two, he wasn't sure how far he could get before the others came after him. He'd just have to run for it and hope Alan had escaped by now. "Perhaps, if it really is because you're younger than the others, we'll have to capture some youngsters and see. You, however, have already proven to be too much of a hassle, it'll be easier just to remove you, unless you can tell us anything else that you think will save you."

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><p>"Give me some good news, Sutcliff before I actually kill you this time."<p>

"I got one of them for the Undertaker to look at, Will," Grell cried, raising his hands defensively and backing against one of the coffins as Eric pulled his scythe, advancing slowly. "They were still alive." William frowned and swung his scythe up to take aim. "Ronnie didn't look like he had a concussion?"

The Undertaker stepped between them and raised his hands. "Now now, let's not fight. The body Grell brought back is fascinating. Besides, they are together. We know they're both resourceful, tenacious young men, as long as they stay together I'm sure they'll manage."

"He's right," Eric said, folding his arms. "They'll look after each other. They'll always look after each other. They'd better not be hurt, Grell."

"What did you find from the body?" William said, glancing at the Undertaker.

"It is quite definitely a demon."

He swept across to the back room, to the dissected blonde. William frowned. "So this is the group of demons trying to kill us?"

"That is the fascinating thing," he laughed. "Her eyes... they reverted to red when she died, as you know demon's eyes do, however, I looked at her glasses and I would say she is ridiculously short sighted, to the level you'd expect of a reaper. Also, her nails, aren't black, no natural fangs, and she is the picture of health, but her organs show signs of age and strain, and as we know, neither reaper nor demon would so any signs of fatigue without an illness and she shows no signs of any illness that would affect demon or reaper."

"Are you saying what I think you are?" Eric said, folding his arms.

William glanced down at the blonde in disgust. "This _thing_ is a mix of demon, human and reaper." The Undertaker nodded, a huge gin spreading across his face. "And you think this isn't the only one? They've got Ronald and Alan."

The Undertaker nodded. They had to be ok. William clenched his fisted and glared down at the body. Fifteen other hybrids were out there at least, according to Grell, and they had Ronald and Alan. They had to be ok. Grell had said they had a chance to kill Ronald but didn't. Perhaps they weren't in so much danger. The question was, what were they going to do now? They had no idea where the hybrids had gone, how they'd just vanished or what they were after.

"Sutcliff, can you take us to where this happened?"

"Yeah, of course."

"I'll get the carriage ready," the Undertaker said with a grin.

Half an hour later, the carriage was sitting out front as Eric climbed up to sit up with the Undertaker while Grell pulled William inside to sit on the plain wood planks that passed for seats either side of a coffin. William wasn't exactly pleased about it, but he'd rather be inside than out there with the Undertaker. Eric got on with him far better than most the others. The journey was quiet, when he managed to tune out Grell's nattering, and uneventful until Grell opened up the panel and the front so he could see out and give directions and talk to Eric and the undertaker.

"It's just down there, I think." There was no change of direction and William frowned. "Hey, where are you going, you old loon? I said that way! We're not going to that creepy cliff thing again, are we?"

"I saw something," the Undertaker replied.

They pulled to a stop a few minutes later and William frowned as Eric and the Undertaker swore and Grell almost screamed. The carriage rocked and William stepped out to find out what all the fuss was about. He froze and he was sure his heart stopped for a moment, forcing him to lean against the carriage for a support for a moment before hurrying over.

"Ronald." He dropped to his knees next to the little blonde's broken body, gently lifting him into his arms and hugging him to his chest. "Ronald, wake up."

"Are they..." Grell stopped as William glared up at him. There were a few tears dripping down the redhead's cheeks and guilt shot through William. He sighed and leant down, resting his forehead against Ronald's, gently stroking his cheek. "Will-"

"Eric..." William glanced over his shoulder to Eric, who was holding Alan close in his arms as the brunette slowly cracked his eyes open. "You're hugging too tight, love, it hurts."

"Ah, perhaps you should take the little ones home," the Undertaker said. "They need medical help, and I need to deal with this... body..." He sighed and shook his head with a bitter laugh. "It's a shame."

"Don't you dare!" Grell cried turning on him. "She's not- she's not- she can't be-"

He lunged for the Undertaker and under normal circumstances William would have stepped in but he wouldn't let go of Ronald and the Undertaker was strong enough from what he'd seen. Besides, he dealt with grieving humans all the time. Reapers weren't so different. The old reaper stepped aside, caught Grell's wrists and spinning him around, pulling him in to bury his head in his robes, gently patting his back as Grell screamed and sobbed, slamming his fists against his chest and shoulders. He'd hate to see what Grell was going to do to whoever was responsible for this.

"Grell?"

"Ronald," William said quietly. Ronald's eyes opened ever so slightly before falling shut again. "Ronald?"

"Why's Grell crying?" Ronald whispered.

"Because the half breeds took another victim," he replied.

Ronald's eyes opened again. "Alan?"

"I'm ok, Ronald," Alan called quietly. "I just want some painkillers."

Ronald turned slightly to the body hanging from the cliff. William couldn't. He really didn't blame Grell. After so long... After just escaping death a few months earlier... Ronald buried his head in his shoulder, his breathing quick, weak and shallow. They needed to get him and Alan back to the hospital wing quickly. He stood slowly, lifting Ronald easily as Eric opened to porthole, helping Alan up as well. He called quietly to Grell, who took Ronald gently as William turned to the Undertaker. Eric and Alan went on ahead, William assumed it was to a normal porthole destination so no one would ask too many questions about how they got in so quickly. After a long moment, Grell shifted Ronald's weight and followed. Pulling out his scythe, the Undertake cut the rope and caught the body gently.

"I will sort everything," he said quietly. William nodded. "You should tend to Ronald. Let me deal with funerals, they are my business. Be glad, it could be your little blonde I'm putting in a coffin." He nodded again as she was sealed in the coffin in the back of the carriage. "And I thought I wouldn't have to use that coffin for a while after you survived. There's going to be no miracle this time I'm afraid, my dear." He glanced at William. "Go. Before the porthole closes, you can say goodbye at the funeral." William turned and slowly disappeared in the porthole. The Undertaker sighed and picked up the large axe from the ground before climbing up onto the carriage. "Such a shame, Michelle."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** The funeral and after party this chapter. As you may notice, it says down there Ronald's broken his collar bone but not really showing it, I'll tell you it's possible. Given that reapers as stronger than humans, it would be easy for Ronnie. I broke my collar bone, I assume by falling off a horse since that how most my serious injuries come along, horses or bikes. Anyway, I didn't actually notice until I smashed my elbow about a year ago, maybe eighteen moths, and I got an x-ray and that asked me when I'd broken my collar bone since it wasn't on file. I had no idea. I didn't even know I'd done it. I only assume it was when I was sixteen and kept wondering why my shoulder hurt. Anyway, going off topic. And yes, I killed Michelle. She was scheduled to die in Glass Emeralds at the end of the first arc. It's you lot who kept her around. Although, I think Mina got attatched that's why I got to write her death. So, yes, she's dead. Or _is_ she? Anyway, thank you for all those loverly reviews, please keep them coming.

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><p>The summer heat had finally broken and the reaper realm had been engulfed by cold, bitter winds, driving rain, dark skies and the roll of thunder in the distance. As if the realm itself was grieving one of its most well known reapers. Less than forty eight hours after her death, Michelle's funeral was due to take place that morning. Ronald closed his eyes as William slowly buttoned up a pair of black bracers for him then pulled down his sleeves, buttoning up the cuffs. It all felt so surreal. His body was still battered and bruised. After being returning home he'd spend the rest of the day, all night, and a lot of the next day in the hospital.<p>

While the hybrids had many useful qualities, they were not trained to kill mercilessly as reapers were and while they were stronger and faster than normal humans, they still weren't as strong as reapers or demons. Relative to what a reaper or demon would have done in the same situation Ronald and Alan were in good condition. Ronald's collar bone was broken in two places, he'd got a mild concussion, which everyone would have teased him about nonstop if they weren't all mourning, there were fractures to his ribs and the scythe wound to his shoulder that had been reopened by the fight and, while it wasn't a killing blow by a long shot, it had done a lot of superficial damage and the blood loss had been what put him out along with some strange poison they hybrids had forced him to drink and seemed not to have actually done anything. Apart from Alan's arm, which had needed to be reset, much to Alan's disgust, there were several fractures across his skull, that were almost fully healed already, a small, death scythe wound across his back, not deep enough to do much, and when he'd fallen a sharp rock at dug into his stomach. It was wasn't going to do any lasting damage, it was just a natural wound and would heal within days, if that, but it probably hurt like hell and they had to watch out for infections, especially given how battered his body was after the damage the Thorns had done.

It seemed the hybrids didn't know how to prolong death. When they wanted to kill, like with Michelle, they would deal one blow and cut the record then leave them hanging. With Ronald and Alan, they seemed to be trying to make them die without actually cutting the record, that way it wasn't technically murder. It was harder than it sounded through. The hybrids hadn't been trained through the academy as reapers had, they didn't know how to kill delicately. They'd learn in time through trial and error, but for now they'd made a crucial mistake.

Ronald glanced at himself in the bathroom mirror, slowly doing up his collar fully, flicking it up and sliding his tie around his neck. His fingers were shaking as he did his tie and pulled it all the way to his top button before flicking his collar down over it. This wasn't work or something simple like that. This was Michelle, if anything deserved an effort to look smart it was this. The last time he'd dressed fully and smartly like this was Eric's funeral just seven and a half years ago. He hadn't known at the time it was a fake death and neither had Alan, they'd both suffered thought it.

William had barely said two words since he'd stopped worrying about whether Ronald was going to survive and recover properly. Ronald turned and glanced back at William. He was pulling on his waistcoat and buttoning it up slowly. Hanging around his ankles was Grim, apparently attempting to make him happier and failing. Ronald hadn't really tried to do much to help him. He didn't know what to say or do. He'd just become so insular. He remembered when Eric was believed to be dead. It was milder back then. Ronald had been led to believe he'd been the one to kill Eric protecting Alan, William had focused on trying to help him through but now there was nothing to distract him.

Being so young, relatively speaking, Ronald hadn't been to too many funerals. This was the third. The first was when he was very young, only three, one of his friends had been attacked by a demon. He buttoned up his waistcoat and pulled on his gloves, catching another glimpse of himself in the mirror. Gone was his cute, childish demeanour, his hair was brushed neatly back and he was sure just that along with his clothes done up neatly made him look years older. He adjusted his glasses and ran out after William was he walked off, pulling on his jacket. Ronald had the urge to tell him it wasn't important, William didn't _really_ have to go, but William would never agree not to go. It was respectful to go, and this was Michelle, but he didn't want to see William in anymore pain.

Grim clambered up onto the back of the couch and Ronald sighed patting his head gently and putting down some food to keep him quiet and happy until they got back. The door closed and Ronald turned. William was already heading out. Ronald turned on his heel, grabbed his coat, jacket and an umbrella and ran out after him, barely pausing to lock the door. Running down the hall after William, he pulled on his jacket and coat as quickly as he could, reaching William at the bottom of the stairs, and slowing to walk at his side, opening the umbrella at the door. Their summer uniforms were pretty much the same as the winter ones, provided for them, only instead of a heavy work boots they worked in normal regulation shoes, and their thick woollen coats were replaces with light, rainproof ones of the same design.

They stopped at a florist's just a few buildings down from them. Grell said that there would be an order waiting. William waited outside, holding the umbrella while Ronald picked up several bouquets of flowers. He kept them under a plastic sheet, keeping them from the rain and under the umbrella until they got to the graveyard. There was a marquee erected over the grave site, protecting everyone from the rain, and quite a few more people than Ronald had been expecting. Apparently she was either a lot more liked than he'd imagined or lots of people wanted to make sure she was definitely in the ground.

Most of the ceremony had already been done. William didn't want the formalities of people saying what a wonderful young woman she was and how many lives she'd touched and how everyone loved her. It was all lies. As far as Ronald could tell, the only people who truly knew her were dead or old and wouldn't give a straight answer. He considered the five of their division to be- _have been_ closer to her than anyone else in the realm and he didn't think for a moment they'd even scratched the surface. They waited quietly at the back of the marquee, just about able to see Eric and Alan up at the front.

Once everyone was done with their silly false goodbyes, and Ronald noticed that Alan and Eric hadn't said anything or they'd just missed it, they began to filter out. The Undertaker suddenly appeared behind him and nudged him forwards. There were only a handful of people left and Ronald grabbed William's hand, pulling him forwards to say goodbye. Eric and Alan were waiting. Alan looked like he felt just as bad as Ronald did and his arm was still in a heavy cast and sling until the bones were fused enough to take the stress. There was no sign of Grell though.

"He hasn't turned up," Alan said quietly.

He nodded and lifted the plastic from the bouquets, reading the tags on the flowers and handing them out. There seemed to be one for each of them. They were roses, Ronald knew that much, but he didn't know what the other flowers were. They were all different colours though.

"Carnations," Alan said. Ronald nodded. Of course, Alan knew all about flowers. It was one of his passions. "They're about love and fascination and their colours mean things too." Ronald frowned and Alan offered him a weak smile and ran his finger over his flowers, half white and half dark pink. "The white carnations are about innocence and faithfulness and pure love while the pink roses show gratitude."

"Who sorted all these out?" Eric said.

The Undertaker chuckled and tipped his hat. "All in a day's work, I'm afraid. Although it was Grell's idea. I know all about how she saw you and how you saw her. I like to think I made the best decisions. After all, funerals _are_ my thing after all, and I am supposed to know most things. Would you like me to leave while you say your goodbyes?"

"You were a friend of hers too," Ronald said quietly.

"Yes, I suppose. As much as either of us had friends."

Eric nudged Alan forwards to the edge of the coffin and he frowned, looking down at the bunch of flowers, then back at Michelle's body. She was in her work uniform, looking more dressed up and glamorous than she ever did on a day to day basis, but it was a funeral, she was supposed to look her best. If Ronald didn't know better, he could fool himself into believing she was just asleep. Sound asleep in a beautiful handmade coffin, created just for her. Alan ran his fingers over the flowers once more and Ronald could have sworn he saw tears running down his cheeks.

"I don't know what to I'm supposed to say."

The Undertaker patted his shoulder. "Just say goodbye."

"Umm, ok..." He frowned and laid the flowers in her coffin. "I don't know, Michelle. You lied to us all the time and you led us into danger, most the messes we got into over the past decade were something for do with you but... you always kept your promise and you always looked after me when Eric couldn't and..." He glanced back at the Undertaker. "This is some Midnight Branch thing, right?"

"Even if it were, you don't have clearance to be told."

Alan sighed and leant down, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek. "I'm going to miss you."

"Yeah, me too," Eric muttered, placing a bouquet next to Alan's. "She was always a good friend. If I wasn't in love you with, I could have loved her." Alan glared up at him. "You know what I mean."

"I know." Alan smiled and leant against him. "Do you know what yours mean?" Eric shook his head. "Those pale purple carnations, they're about fantasies and dreams. And the yellow roses... they have so many means. Friendship and intense emotion, dying love and a broken heart, jealousy and betrayal..." He paused and glanced up at Eric. "An apology."

Eric ran his hand through his hair and shook his head. "Stupid flowers. Stupid Undertaker."

"Knowing exactly what you're thinking?"

Ronald frowned and glanced up at William. The light was reflecting off his glass, hiding his eyes from sight. He just looked so calm and cold, like he didn't care at all that his first lover and close friend had been murdered. He turned back to Alan.

"What about mine?"

Alan reached out for his hand. Quickly handing the bunches that weren't labelled for him to the Undertaker he took Alan's hand and showed him the bunch of light pink and rich purple flowers. "Deep purple carnations represent a whimsy and change and the light pink roses are for joy and love of life and youth and... desire and passion..."

"Oh." Ronald blushed slightly and glanced back at William. "She, uh, when I was in hospital after that demon, I asked her how to get William to notice me." William lifted his head slightly but the light still obscured his eyes. "Without her I might never have... my normal charms weren't working on him. I didn't think he liked me. Without her I wouldn't have had the courage to confront him about him." He frowned and slowly laid the flowers next to Alan's, lowering his voice slightly. "Thank you, Michelle, for everything. I know we weren't so close and I was jealous of how much you meant to the boss back then but... you saved us back there and I _will_ miss you."

An arm wrapped around his shoulder and William laid his flowers next to Ronald's. He dimly heard Alan pulling Eric away as Eric asked what pink flowers meant as the left quietly. "The roses are grace and the carnations mean stuff like '_I'll never forget you_' and '_always on my mind_'. Come on. Let's see if we can find Grell. He should be here."

Ronald smiled, trying to be reassuring as he took William's hand and squeezed tightly. Finally, the light stopped bouncing off his glasses and Ronald could see the moisture in his eyes. He'd never seen so much raw pain in William's eyes. Even if the rest of his face was cold and emotionless his eyes were giving away everything. It was so rare, he usually only saw anything so obvious in his eyes when they were in bed together.

"Boss?"

"It could have been you in her place." He squeezed his shoulders and leant against his head, closing his eyes. "I could have lost you."

"Don't you want to say goodbye?"

"Why?" William said, gently taking his hand and pulling him away. Ronald opened his mouth to argue but William glanced back, the light bouncing off his glasses again. "She's not truly gone until we've uncovered all her little secrets."

Smiling slightly, Ronald nodded, then gasped and ran back, picking up a bouquet of red flowers and setting them in the coffin. "They're from Grell, Michelle. I guess it hurts him too much to come and see you right now but I've never seen anyone put up with him like you did. I think he appreciated that. He loved you. Maybe not like me and the boss, or Alan and Eric, but he loved you in a weird sort of Grell way. I hope, whatever's on the other side, you know how much you meant to all of us." He glanced back at William. "Are you sure you won't say goodbye?"

"Let's go, Ronald."

He sighed and picked up the last bouquet, glancing up at the Undertaker as he laid a bouquet of black roses in her hands, chuckling softly. "Will you be teaching the first years again, Mr Spears? Starts next week doesn't it?"

Stopping, William glanced back. "Of course I will. It's my job."

"You can just take the time off, boss," Ronald said as William opened their umbrella. Running to his side, he grabbed his arm and could just make out a red umbrella slowly moving up the hill. "No one would blame you."

"Work comes first, Ronald you know that. What are you doing with those flowers?"

"They're for you." William frowned. "Blue roses. Love at first sight, kind of appropriate for us, I suppose. And I like blue. I dunno, losing Michelle, thinking I was going to die, it kind of made me think how lucky I am to have you."

"Ronald." He took Ronald's hand gently and squeezed gently. "You're unbelievable sometimes."

"In a good way?"

"Most the time."

There was an awkward pause and Ronald leant gently against William's shoulder as they walked, not pushing it any further. William would deal with this in his own way. All he could really do was make sure William knew he was here if he needed him. And he was. He wasn't ever as close to Michelle as the others, she protected and cared for Alan, helped Eric break the rules whenever he needed to, and William and Grell had been in relationships with her, so he didn't really feel like he had the right to be as upset as they were. Compared to them he barely knew her, she was just a nice presence in his life, she was always there. He should be helping them get through.

"Do you want to go to the party?" William said.

Ronald frowned. It was a reaper tradition. There was always a party, a wake of sorts but with more drinking and less mourning. Since feeling grief wasn't something reapers were comfortable with, they were supposed to be pretty much immortal after all, but when they did lose one of their own, they dealt with it by drinking and partying and celebrating life. Not just the life of the deceased but their own lives. The death of an immortal reminded them that there were things that could get to them and brought it home _hard_ that they should still make the most of their time. It wasn't unusual for those parties to lead to big things. Lots of people finally took the leap and would confess to the people they loved.

"Are you going to go?"

After a long moment of gazing down at him, William nodded. "Yes, I think I will."

"It seems silly to get so dressed up," Ronald whispered. William nodded. "She hated being in uniform."

"She hated being a reaper."

Stopping suddenly, William pulled Ronald around to face him, and ran his free hand through a very confused Ronald's hair, slowly messing it up again so his fringe stuck out and flicked up as normal. Ronald frowned and William took his hand once more, carrying on down the street.

"No one would think any less of you if you took time off," Ronald said quietly.

William shook his head. "I don't want time off, I want to work."

Ronald nodded and they carried on in a comfortable silence. Their funeral parties were always in the human world. The weather was only a little better in the human world and they hurried to the quiet pub the party was being held at. Well, it was generally quiet, Ronald knew, he'd been there enough, but today there were about a hundred reapers inside. It was a good place to be for reapers, the pub landlord ignored the behaviour that humans would consider inappropriate. As long as they paid he didn't care what they did.

Eric and Alan were already inside, sitting on one booth with drinks ready for them. Ronald pulled William over and sat with them, taking the drinks they ordered. "Loud in here, isn't it?"

"Yeah, there's way more people than you'd expect," Alan said. "I guess she did more favours than we thought."

"Or lots of people are expecting all her secrets to be revealed," Eric said.

"Or they're just please no one knows their secrets anymore."

"You're all very cynical," Ronald laughed. He glanced up at William, who was drinking slowly. "Hey, you ok?" He nodded and Ronald beamed up at him. "I'm here if you want to talk."

"I know."

Ronald nodded and held out the flowers for him. "Can I come with you to teach the kids? I want to make sure you're not getting flowers from anyone else in twenty years time."

"If you want, but do as you're told." He offered Ronald a small, gentle smile and kissed his hair gently. "And, you are the only one who has ever given me flowers, Ronald. The chances are you will be the only one who ever will." He kissed Ronald's cheek and Ronald's smile grew. "And you have nothing to fear from those newborns. I'm not going to just let go of you." He turned Ronald's head to him, pressing their lips together gently for a brief moment and Ronald was dimly aware of several people cooing over how cute they were. "Do honestly believe in love at first sight?"

"I don't know," Ronald murmured. "I mean, I did end up with you. I've wanted you and admired you since the moment I saw you and you seem to have felt the same about me for just as long. I suppose I do." He leant up and pecked his lips. "Unless it's always like that with you?"

"Yeah, how did you and Michelle get together?" Eric said.

"What was it like when you two were together?" Alan said. "We're here to talk about her and celebrate what she did, right?"

"Well," William said quietly, wrapping his arms gently around Ronald's waist and resting his chin on his shoulder. "I'd met her on and off, she was a second year after all, we didn't interact that much. Usually, if I saw her anywhere close she was grabbing Sutcliff and pulling him off to parties or drinking or something ridiculous. The first time we spoke properly, she sort of draped herself over me and helped me with my assignment. And after that, I liked her. I always got jealous when I she spent time with other people, or if she was flirting with other people, even though I had no right to be. When we actually got together, she liked to make it obvious to everyone I was hers. That was how she was, I suppose." He tipped Ronald head up and claimed his lips once more. "I never loved her like I love you though. Even so..."

He closed his eyes and nuzzled gently against his hair. Ronald was sure he a tear tracking down his cheek and reached up, brushing his cheek as a soothing gesture, and just in case he really had seen a tear rather than just some rain still dripping from his damp hair, whispering softly. "I know, boss."

Their eyes met and Ronald leant back against him gently. It wasn't exactly easy, was it? He'd not really had many _relationships_ before William, he'd had a girlfriend through the academy which was just silly and childish and there had been people he hooked up with regularly but most of the time it was just once or twice and nothing more, but he had people he cared about and knew he would suffer if they were killed, even if he wasn't that close to them.

"They still have Maddie," Alan muttered.

"You're not to try and save her," William said firmly. "Especially you." He nudged Ronald gently. "I don't want you in London alone."

"That's not fair, she's just a kid."

"Don't argue, Ronald. _Please."_

Ronald shivered at the whisper against his ear. He was wasn't ordering it or telling him what he wanted like he normally did. It wasn't that Ronald minded when he did that. It was how William was, he didn't really _ask_ for anything. At least, not like most people. He told Ronald what he wanted, what he was thinking or what ideas had taken his fancy, and Ronald would either agree or not. Usually he did what he said. He liked pleasing William and, though he doubted he'd ever really admit it to William, he kind of liked when he was forceful with him. It wasn't that he _never_ asked nicely for anything. He was often polite and kind and soft spoken, even when giving him orders, if they weren't working. He was just used to having to be blunt and forceful or be ignored. Ronald would never ignore him and William knew it, but it was just how he was. He was especially forceful when it came to Ronald's wellbeing, and Ronald knew why. He wanted to keep him safe. This was so different though. This was a soft, quiet whisper. William wasn't one to beg or plead, although Ronald wasn't above trying to make him do so from time to time, it just wasn't him, but this was as close as they'd ever got. Ronald turned slowly and kissed him gently.

"Alright," he whispered against his lips. "I won't. I'll stick close."

"Well, it's not like anything serious will happen," Eric laughed. "Whatever happens, the most he comes out with is a concussion." Alan chuckled and Ronald glared over. "Aw, don't look so down, Ron, it's a good thing. How's your arm, sweetheart?"

"It aches," Alan said quietly. "But what else am I supposed to expect." He smiled and rested his head against Eric's shoulder. Ronald offered him a tight smile, his head starting to ache. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a few deep breaths. "Are you ok, Ronald?"

"Just a headache."

"Are you sure?" William said.

"Yeah, I'm sure." He stood slowly and edged out. "I just need some air."

William got up and Ronald's breath quickened slightly. A strange fever pitch was suddenly coming over him. The world seemed to blur and he adjusted his glasses slightly as the room started to spin. The others were talking to him but he couldn't hear them clearly. The fever washed over him once more and his knees buckled, sending him tumbling to the ground, his mind falling into darkness.

"Ronald!"


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Apologies to everyone who read this earlier, there was a problem with the files. Sorted it now. Anyway, lots of cuteness this chapter. Will pondering over him and Ronald's relationship and Ronald's having cute flashbacks of when he was a youngster. Little cutie. Anyway, thanks for the reviews and please keep them coming.

* * *

><p>"Leave him alone, Grim," William said firmly, picking Grim up from Ronald's side and setting him on the floor. "He needs to rest." Wringing out a cool, damp cloth, he let his eyes move slowly over Ronald's face. This was all he needed. He laid the cloth across Ronald's forehead. The doctors said he just needed rest but William was still worried. So soon after losing Michelle, having Ronald in a bad way was almost too much to bear. He didn't let the others see it, although, in the back of his mind something said Eric knew, he was annoyingly observant sometimes. Grim jumped back onto the bed and nuzzled Ronald's hand. "Grim, please."<p>

Ronald's shallow, laboured breathing eased slightly and William frowned, for a moment before slowly running his hand through Ronald's hair. He leant down and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. Ronald had been in and out of hospitals with concussions and various other problems but he'd never been like this. He was always up and awake, given pain killers or sedatives but he was always safe. He'd never just have to sit and wait and hope he'd wake up for more than a few hours. Sometimes he'd get knocked out and William would have to wait for him to wake up, but he wasn't ill or in danger. He'd only been so worried about him twice before. The first time was when he'd been attacked by a pair of demons who had put a dozen or so other victims in comas they'd never wake up from and Ronald was the only one to recover. He'd spent the entire night waiting in the hospital waiting room with the rest of the time. They were worried, but the signs were good. The second was less than a few months ago, when Ronald had been locked up for psychiatric observation and the doctors had told him he'd tried to kill himself. There was a sickening feeling in his stomach just thinking about it. He ran his fingers slowly along the scars on his arms. He'd been brutally attacked by one of William's previous lovers, who'd turned out to be something of a psychopath, who had been jealous of Ronald, he'd made it look like he'd attempted suicide, just to try and get William back. And William had been so afraid in that time, when they'd told him.

"Boss?"

"Ronald," William whispered. "I'm here, darling, don't worry."

Ronald smiled and cracked his eyes opened for a brief moment. "What happened?"

"You passed out at the party."

"I didn't think I'd had that much to drink... or did I have so much I don't remember?"

"No, you'd barely started your first and you just passed out. How are you feeling?"

"Tired." He sighed and William stroked his cheek gently. "Did I spoil everything?"

"No, Slingby brought his own alcohol to the hospital and carried on the party." It wasn't true, but William wouldn't put it passed him. Ronald laughed weakly and nodded. "The doctors say you just need to rest."

"I'm sorry for worrying you."

William nodded and stroked his hair gently. Ronald smiled contently and seemed to drift off to sleep once more. Grim curled up at his side. He really could drift off to sleep within seconds, especially in the winter in front of the fire.

"Any sign of Grell?"

"None," William said quietly.

"Shame," he whispered. "I hope he's ok."

"He's a bad influence on you. Always was."

"Don't be so mean..."

William smiled and sat at his side, picking up his book. He knew Grell wasn't the worst influence in Ronald's life. Grell, and William _really_ wished Ronald would stop him telling everything about their life, had told him once that he and Ronald were perfectly suited because they were into similar things and Grell obviously wasn't sweet and innocent enough for him. While it was true to some extent, William really wished he didn't have to hear it from _Grell_. Ronald looked unbelievably beautiful when he was embarrassed and flustered, blushing and stuttering. Just thinking about the image sent heat rushing through his veins. He sighed and tried to calm himself down. Ronald was ill, he didn't need to be thinking like that. He had enough self control when he wanted to. He was capable of keeping his desires under control.

There was just _something_ about Ronald's cute, childish looks that drove William wild. He looked so boyish and sweet and naive, if he wasn't careful he could fall into the same trap so many others did and start thinking that was all he was and forgetting that behind that young face and bright eyes was a quick, sharp mind that could quickly make the best of any opening. Something about Ronald just screamed out to the instincts of people around him to protect him and baby him, because he was just a sweet, innocent child who could so easily be taken advantage of. Ronald, of course, knew that was what William liked and would often play up to it. There was something about corrupting that pure innocence in the most cardinal, wanton way, about making such a youthful beauty whimper, moan, blush and squirm beneath him that was so incredibly sexy to William. Grell had said once it was a reflecting of how Michelle had corrupted him. He wished Grell didn't know so much so often, but it was at least somewhat true. Michelle had been his first. He still remembered how strong and confident she'd looked their first time, and how he had blushed and stuttered.

Ronald seemed to like it too though. He'd never said it but William had noticed Ronald preferred it when he was rough and forceful, and William was hardly known for being particularly soft and gentle. Sometimes it went further. Again, Ronald never said it but William saw it, felt it, how much Ronald loved when he took all control and forced him into complete and utter submission. He didn't understand why, but William was generally happy to oblige because Ronald looked so incredible when he was squirming and blushing. Grell was, unfortunately, right on some level.

Still, when William looked down at Ronald's sleeping face, William started to think about all the things he still didn't know about Ronald and what Ronald didn't know about him. The little blonde was twenty-one but had an eventful past. He knew the big, important things, but there were smaller things he didn't know. And William was over one hundred and that was a lot of time to go over. They were getting there though. They'd not even been together a decade, in reaper terms, that was still early days. There were times he wondered what Ronald thought about, or dreamt about and he knew if he asked Ronald would tell him. Sometimes, for a brief moment, he'd wish they were more like Eric and Alan, who seemed to know what the other was thinking at all times. Still they'd been together around half a decade, of course they were closer.

* * *

><p>"Knox."<p>

Ronald whipped around and stared up at William as the rest of his class left. His teacher was standing down from the benches and Ronald swallowed heavily. He'd messed up a lot today. William was going to be mad. He wanted to be the best for William, so he'd be proud to teach him. Today he just kept messing up.

"It is Knox, isn't it?" Ronald nodded quickly and dropped his head, blushing slightly. He'd never been so close to William except for a few seconds in passing, and they were alone. He'd heard stories from his seniors about teachers calling back their students for '_extra tuition_' and taking advantage of them or carrying on secret, and strictly illegal, relationships. "You weren't at your best today." He nodded again. He'd noticed. Ronald wanted to so desperately to please William. And this close Ronald could see just how handsome William was. "Is there something wrong?"

"N-no, sir," he stammered. "Nothing's wrong."

William tipped his chin up with one finger and Ronald's blush deepened. This was silly. "Then, what is the reason for your problems today? You're usually my best pupil. If something is affecting your work, it's important that I know."

"No, sir, there's nothing wrong. I'm just struggling to get the hang of this."

William nodded. That was it, William was going to yell at him, tell him off for being so useless. He was really trying. He just couldn't get it. Things were getting harder and he couldn't get the hang of it. Instead of saying anything to tell him off, William nodded. "Would you like help?"

"Really? Yeah, help would be great."

"Good. At least if you're willing to work at it there's still hope. You have a bright future ahead of you, Knox, if you carry on and grow up into the reaper I know you _could_ be, any supervisor would be glad to have you in their division. You could go a long way." Ronald's cheeks burned and he glanced away. "Don't look so bashful, Knox. I mean it."

"Even your division?"

"Yes, Knox." There was something almost amused in his eyes but Ronald passed it off as just the light. "If you keep at it. Come now, let's get to work."

Ronald smiled and William pulled him out, away from the benches so they could work properly. He showed William where he was struggling and William listened quietly. From this close, Ronald could see how stunning William was. Most his friends knew he had something of a crush on William. Well, he admired him and looked up to him, everyone said it was a crush and teased him mercilessly. Most his friends told him relationships with the same sex were wrong. It was a silly crush and he'd grow out of it. Although there were plenty of seniors and officers in same sex relationships, the seniors said most newborns had this idea and grew out of it. Apparently, according to _one_ theory at least, it was because reapers were resurrected souls and retained some of their subconscious. Since humans had it drilled into them that such relationships were wrong they retained some of that as a reaper. No one knew how reapers were created really, everyone seemed to have a theory though. While Ronald was still a little wary about the advances and flirtatious comments from his seniors, he was starting to see it in a more mature way, if they loved each other, who were they to say it was wrong?

"Do you mind if I show you a better way?" William said, stepping a little closer.

"No," Ronald whispered, shaking his head quickly. "No, of course I don't mind."

William nodded and to Ronald's surprise, and embarrassment, stepped close, his strong, firm chest pressed to Ronald's back so he could feel every muscle. He blushed and lowered his head. He'd never been this close to anyone. He'd been so completely focused on his studies. Not that he'd had much time to do anything else. He was less than six months old and he'd not even been in the academy two months.

Leaning against down to his ear, William whispered gently. "Now, keep your weight down and forwards a little more." He nudged Ronald's legs apart with his knee and pushed him forwards ever so slightly. "It'll keep you more secure and steady. And it keeps you more power to push off with." His hand slipped over his hip and Ronald's breath hitched, blushing heavily and turning away slightly. William turned his head slowly back to him and Ronald couldn't take his gaze from William's face. He was _so_ handsome, the sort of tall, dark and classically handsome type. His gaze flicked to William's lips, only a hair from his own so he could feel his breath against his skin. Why did he want so desperately to press forwards and kiss him, even knowing it was _illegal_ for an officer and student to engage in such activities, even though William would never allow it? "Is something wrong, Knox? You're rather flushed."

"Yes. I mean, no. I mean, it's just kind of hot in here."

"Then you should take off your jacket, Knox."

He slid his hand up under Ronald's jacket and slipped it from his shoulders and unbuttoning the top button of his jacket. "Oh."

He flushed and turned away quickly. It was all so weird. He'd never felt like this before. "You look uncomfortable, Knox, are you sure you're ok?"

"Yes, of course," Ronald said quietly. "Just a little stiff, that's all, this is a lot to do so quickly."

"Well, you're leaning quickly, I'm sure you'll manage."

The continued working for another hour or so. Ronald tried to keep his head low and tried to keep from getting too flustered. William made him feel strange. Like he never had before. It was this unreasonable, burning, longing. Every time he looked at William, his face, his lips, he wanted so desperately to press close to him and kiss him and make him realise how much he looked up to and admired him. He'd never been kissed before. He'd like it to be William who was his first, but the chances were slim to none, he knew that. Every touch just made him ache for more. And William actually cared that he was struggling. He wanted to help.

"Very good, Knox," William whispered. He nodded as William's breath brushed his ear, sending shivers down his spine. "I'll see you tomorrow for class. Good night, Knox."

All contact was broken and William strode off, leaving him suddenly feeling cold and alone. William would never have let him kiss him like he wanted to. He sighed and strode back to his dorm room. His roommate, Miles, smiled as he came in then frowned. He frowned and sat on the bed next to him. Miles liked men and women, he knew that. He frowned and sat back on his heels.

"What's up, Knox?" Miles said.

He was popular. Ronald envied him. He wished he could be that popular so easily but he didn't seem to have to disposition for it. People liked big smiles and shallow laughs but Ronald didn't really see the point in being so fake.

"How many people have you been with?"

Miles laughed and tilted his head. "Four, but I'm only a month away from turning one. I'm a bit older than you. There's time."

"I-I know, I'm just curious. What was your first kiss like?"

"Amazing. It was with an older guy. He was cute, but I suppose you don't like it when I talk about being with guys."

"Umm, no, I don't mind. I'm actually kind of interested."

"Oh?" Ronald lowered his head and blushed heavily. "Ronald Knox, you have a crush. Tell me."

"I just... Mr Spears is kind of-"

"Stunning," Miles laughed. "Yes. But cold, harsh, strict and an _officer_. It's against the rules for you two to be together, even if I believe for a second he'd look at you the same way. Don't get me wrong, Knox, you're a pretty boy, no doubt, but he's the problem. He's not going to look at anyone, or break the rules." Ronald sighed and nodded. "Hey, you'll do fine, you're pretty boy, remember. So, you're into men then?"

"No!" Ronald cried. A moment later he realised what he'd said and clasped his hands over his mouth. Miles sighed and shook his head. "Sorry, Miles. I'm just not really sure what's going on with me at the moment. I've never understood the attraction, I meant, I get people are good looking and stuff but I was never really into any guys before. Mr Spears though... he's so... maybe I do like men, or maybe I'm bi. I get women, but... does any of this make sense?" Miles nodded. "I don't know why I'm even thinking about this. I'm not exactly popular or someone who gets asked out a lot by either sex. I don't think it matters."

"Aw, Knox," he said. "Are you a virgin?"

"I'm not even six months old."

"That's a yes?"

Ronald sighed and nodded, tilting his head slightly and gazing up at him pitifully. "I've never been kissed. But I'm only a baby still."

"Yes you are," Miles purred. He caught Ronald's chin and pulled him down onto his hands and knees, staring up at him, wide eyed and blushing. "And that look certainly suits you. You should play up to it. You just need to loosen up a bit, come out drinking with me tonight. I'll get you a date and you'll have been kissed by the end of the night."

"N-no, I've got assignments."

"Too bad."

He tipped Ronald's chin up and before he could say anything Miles pressed their lips together in a gentle, tender kiss. Blinking in complete confusion, he wasn't completely sure how to react. Miles cupped his cheek and a hand reached around his waist, nudging him closer slightly. Finally giving into his instincts, his eyes fluttered shut and he slowly kissed him back, reaching up to his shoulders and opening his lips slightly and giving a small, uncertain moan as Miles' tongue invaded his mouth. It was weird, and Ronald's fists clenched against Miles' shoulders as he tried to meet his advances uncertainly, but it was nice.

"Anytime you want a hook up, Knox," Miles said quietly, moving back just enough to allow Ronald to catch his breath, his lips brushing Ronald's as he spoke. "You're pretty good if that's your first time."

"Th-thanks," he panted. "I-I'll keep it in m-mind."

"Make sure you do." He smirked and pecked his lips. "You're a student, have fun, Knox, sleep around, save the seriousness for your senior years. For now, we're young and we can have fun. Any time you want to sort that virginity problem of yours, I'll be happy to help." His eyes flashed red suddenly and Ronald found himself pinned back to the bed, his voice shifting. "You could be so strong, Ronald, it's only matter of time." His burning blue eyes flashed red again and Ronald kicked and squirmed. "You'll betray them all, it's your nature now. It's slowly working its way through you. You'll be like us soon."

"This is just a dream!" Ronald cried as he seemed to sink further into the bed. "This isn't real. None of it!"

"Please, Ronald, I don't want to hurt you. Think about it, you'd be the strongest of us. We could do anything with you leading us. You can teach us how to be stronger than the normal reapers. You can do anything with us. Please, join us, we have the best of all three breeds. You can even make that lovely boss of yours like us."

"You killed Michelle!"

"We can bring her back."

The bed began to swallow him and he kicked and squirmed desperately. "You can't bring back the dead!"

* * *

><p>"...Michelle..." Ronald groaned.<p>

William frowned. Ronald seemed to be getting more and more distressed. Finally, he decided to wake him up. He shook Ronald gently and Ronald shot up, eyes wide and wild, shaking and sweating in terror.

A few long moments passed before Ronald calm down and flopped back onto the bed, staring up at him. "I love you."

"Hmm, I love you too," William said. "But I'm not sure what that's got to do with anything."

"Who says I need a reason to tell you how much I care about you?"

"Did you have a bad dream?" William said. Ronald nodded slowly. "Do you want to talk?"

"I've always been cute..." He closed his eyes and William frowned, resting his hand on his forehead. He still had a fever, no wonder he wasn't making so much sense. "...and you always wanted me..."

William nodded and tucked him in once more. "Yes, Ronald. Always. Go back to sleep."

"Don't tell me what to do." William sighed and kissed his forehead. "I think I'm in trouble, boss."

"You're sick and exhausted," William said. "Go back to sleep and if you still think you're in trouble once you're fever's gone, then we'll talk."

"I don't think I'll be able to talk when the fever's gone. I think they gave me the last of the serum." William frowned. "You know, to make me like them."

"You don't know that. It shouldn't even be possible. The doctors said you're fine. There's nothing wrong. You're just tired. It's not going to be ok. There's no way they could have done that, Ronald."

"No..." He sighed and rolled over, wrapping his arms around Grim who mewled and nuzzled against him. "It doesn't stop me being afraid though."

"That's why I'm here," William said firmly. "As long as I'm here, you've got nothing to be afraid of, Ronald. You know I'll do everything I can to keep you safe."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** Yes two chapters in two days. The result of being alone while everyone else goes out and has fun paintballing. Yes, paintball. apparently my broken (as near as damn broken) jaw and paintball don't go. Yeah, sure. Anyway, yes, lots of hugs for Ronnie this chapter, his dreams are getting worse, Grim's looking pathetic, Grell returns and William's being distracted. Please review, and thank you to those who do.

* * *

><p>William sighed, wrapping his arms around Ronald trembling body. Over the past two days since his collapse Ronald had woken up every hour or two from horrific nightmares that seemed to only be getting worse. He stroked his hair gently, trying to calm him. Resting his hand on his forehead for a moment, William was at least reassured that his fever had finally broken. The doctors had said the nightmares and fever were likely a result of the stress of Michelle's death, exhaustion and the strange substance the hybrids had given him. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the youngster's breathing slowed and he gazed up at him.<p>

"Darling," he whispered. "I have to go to work."

"You don't have to," Ronald said. "If it's too hard... all your work is just voluntary at the moment..."

"If you want me to stay, say so, Ronald," William said.

"No, it's ok," he said quietly. "You should go and work. I'll be fine."

"If Grell turns up, try and keep him here and quiet, ok?" Ronald nodded and snuggled against him. "If you want me to stay, Ronald, tell me. You do need care."

"No, you focus on work. I should be ok by tomorrow, shouldn't I? I'll be back at work soon."

"None of the others are working, it's only been a few days, take your time."

"You were closer to her than any of us. Why are we allowed time off but you're not taking any time? I'll come back to work tomorrow and come and look after the kids with you."

"Just, go to sleep for now, Ronald," William said. He sighed and pushed him back, kissing him gentle and tucking him in. "I'll see you in a few hours, darling." Grim jumped up onto the bed and mewled, nuzzling up against Ronald and gazing up at him. "Yes, you look after him too."

Working kept William focused. He kissed Ronald one last time before getting up from the bed and pulling on his waistcoat and jacket. He didn't exactly want to leave Ronald. What was he supposed to do though? He needed to focus on work to keep himself from thinking about Michelle. If Ronald needed someone he could come to the office, or to see Eric and Alan. They had come over and sat with him while William was working yesterday. They'd taken him to the doctors that night and they told him everything was fine and would recover within days. It was still worrying though.

"William, isn't it?" He turned to a tall, dark haired man. He frowned. He'd barely been in London a few minutes before he'd been approached. "Do you know who I am?"

"I'm not sure I care," William said, turning and continuing on. "However, you seem to know who I am, so I will assume that you are at least have knowledge of immortals, making you mildly more tolerable than the rest of your kind."

"My kind? What do you know of my kind, William?"

"Either you are human, in which case you are of no interest to me, you're a job," he replied. "If not, you're a demon, in which case you will do well to bare in mind I have an extreme distaste for your kind and will kill in a second should you get in my way."

"My name is Ian, William," he said quietly. "It's good to finally meet you. I've heard, and seen, so much about you. And I'm not what you think I am."

William glanced back at him over before jumping up to the window of a house and stepping in. The woman was supposed to die in less than three minutes. She was in her bed, muttering feverishly. She opened her eyes and gasped. There was something about on coming death that let humans see things they shouldn't. Many humans who were allowed to live on, or fought on, reported seeing their life flashing before their eyes. They could see their own records for the moments before their death. They also saw something that William, nor anyone he knew, had been able to figure out. Those who were allowed to live reported seeing death coming for them, a person coming towards them, which wasn't that strange, but shrouded by living, dancing shadows like a cloak. It was particularly seen by those who were sick, or children. It was partly why reapers usually kept out of sight, those who were about to die were the only ones who noticed anything strange about them and if there were others around they would often make a scene. That was where their idea of a hooded figure came from though, he supposed. Ian had followed him up and was watching almost curiously over his shoulder.

"Stay back," she wheezed. "I'm not ready to go. My children need me."

"Why not just kill her?" Ian said. "Put her out of her misery."

"You're a young demon then," William said, striding over to the bed and gazing down at her, briefly reminded of Ronald's condition. He sighed and rested his hand on her forehead. "May Hardy, born 3rd of June 1860."

"No... how do you know who I am?"

She burst into a coughing fit and William swung up his scythe. "It's quite alright, Miss Hardy, I'm here to guide you on. It's your time." He really hated having to do reaping from up close but he didn't trust Ian not to snatch her soul away if he did it from a distance. Her records spilled out from her chest and William looked over them slowly. She was nothing special, he was more bothered by Ian watching him intently. "Died of pneumonia, 28th of July 1898. Remarks, none."

He cut the record, collected the soul and turned away, stamping her page as complete. Ian strode behind him and jumped back into the street below with him. "Why did you wait until her records appeared? Why not just kill her? It'd save you time you know."

"I'm aware of what simply killing the humans would do for our efficiency," William replied. "However, we would then have to ask ourselves at what point we kill them? Why not simply wipe out all the humans and then we'd never have to work again, but then the demons would have nothing to eat, not that this would be a terrible thing. I wouldn't mind seeing the end of the demons, but unfortunately, they can survive without souls, it merely weakens them, but I'm sure you already know all this." He turned on his heel and glared back at Ian. "Why do you insist on following me?"

"I'd like to propose something of truce, William," Ian replied. "I really don't want to get into fights. I'm merely trying to survive and not be persecuted for being something I have no control over. I didn't ask to be created, I'm sure you can sympathise. I was quite happy with the life I had."

"I, demon, am proud to be a reaper. Unlike your kind, we are a race who have morals and respect the dead, no matter how stupid their kind may be, and we take pride in our work and the people we work with. I have never regretted being what I am. I have never wanted to be anything else and I have no memories of being anything else, so I'm in no position to make comments on such a longing. Now, will you kindly leave me to my job before I put you out of your misery, demon?"

"That didn't sound like a request."

"It wasn't."

He turned and strode down the street, adjusting his glasses with his scythe as he check the next soul on the list. There were quiet footsteps behind him and he glanced over his shoulder. Ian was still following him. Well, he was persistent, William would give him that much. It didn't stop him being annoying through. He turned and swung his scythe up, squeezing the trigger so the blades snapped out either side of his throat.

"What _exactly_ do you want, demon?"

"I want a truce, William-"

He growled and squeezed the trigger slightly, just enough for the blades to draw blood. "You should have more manners, demon. Don't be so informal."

"Mr Spears."

"How _do_ you know me, demon?"

"I've seen it enough," Ian replied, pushing his scythe away. "Don't you understand what I am? Why Ronald's had such terrible nightmares since we saw each other? He's all I want, Mr Spears, but I know you won't let him go and he won't come easily. After all, you two are such a sweet, loving couple, but I need him, Mr Spears. He's the key to everything."

"You're one of the hybrids," William growled. "You're responsible for what's happened to Ronald and for Michelle's death."

Ian smirked and disappeared into a side road behind a carriage. William went after him for a moment before stopping and shaking his head, well aware that Ian was now on the roof above, watching him carefully. He glanced up at him for a moment before continuing on his work. He had work to do, he couldn't waste time thinking about the hybrid. He had souls to reap. He'd get back to the bastard who'd hurt Ronald and killed Michelle once he was done. At least he had a name and face now. As he continued along, he knew Ian was following and watching. The hybrids didn't know much about how immortals worked, he supposed he was learning. Much as William wasn't keen on teaching these creatures how to cause more damage, he wasn't going to rise to it. He was just going to finish his work and get back to Ronald as soon as possible.

* * *

><p>"Where am I now?" Ronald said, glancing around. There was a small, redhead woman sitting on the bar in front of him. She smiled and adjusted her glasses. "What this time? I know this is a dream, I've got the hang of this now. Whatever you're going do to me, get on with it. And where's your boss? Isn't he usually here to torture me?"<p>

"He's busy, Alice," she giggled, tapping his nose. "You're getting stronger. The serum needs several doses to take full effect, it wears off quickly. We haven't got long. Why not join us Give into it and become like us. You'll have the best of all worlds. You'll be the leader, you can teach us." She stood and slipped one arm around his neck and one around his waist. Suddenly, Ronald was very aware he was in a blue dress and had shoulder length hair. And they were in a very dark, smoking room with lots of people. "He's back, Alice."

"What are you showing me?" he hissed. "What's going on?"

She kissed him suddenly and Ronald wrapped his arms around her in return, his body moving beyond his control. He'd grown used to this. They were normally showing him things he couldn't change or control. Like watching a record only living it instead, but he couldn't tell what it was, whether they were showing him their memories or just showing him things to upset him. He couldn't make any sense of it, or how they were doing it, but he'd stopped fighting. There was nothing he could do.

"Miss Alice."

He turned and realised who he was staring up at. The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could even comprehend them. "Mr Spears."

This had to be something they'd conjured up to hurt him. There was no way this was anyone's memory. William wouldn't be in a place like this. Still, he caught Ronald's hand and kissed the back gently. The redhead giggled and William glanced up at her.

"I'm sorry, Miss Christina," he said, running a hand through Ronald's hair. "Much as I appreciate how aesthetically pleasing it is to see you two together, I'm going to have to take Miss Alice from you."

"Have fun, darlings."

He pulled Ronald away into a back room. Before Ronald knew what he was doing he stopped in the doorway, leaning back against the frame and turning William to him with a small, sultry smirk.

"Mr Spears, much as you are my best customer and my favourite, you still have to hand over your money first," he said quietly, flicking his hair over his shoulder. William sighed and pulled a few coins from his pocket, pressing them in Ronald's hand, before capturing his lips and pulling him into the room, shutting the door and pushing him back against the wood. Ronald slipped the coins into a small purse, reaching up into his hair as William pulled up his skirt. "Mr Spears... William..."

He pulled Ronald back onto a small, dirty bed, pulling him onto his lap and wrapping his arms tighter around him. "I hate having to pay for you, love."

"I know," he murmured. "I know, but I need money to live, William."

"Why not let me take you away from all this, Alice?" William said gently, squeezing his waist. "I'll take you away, you'll never have to suffer again. You won't have to be with men you don't know. It'll be just us, Alice."

Ronald would have frowned if he could have but he wasn't able. For once this actually seemed like a fun dream. He didn't care about what he looked like or what kind of awkward body they'd put him in, he got to be with William. Of course, it was too good to last, something would go wrong, but for now, he was content to have a sweet dream for once.

"Ronald..." He smiled and fell back to the bed, William kissing his neck gently. Suddenly there were handcuffs around his wrists, his arms pulled up above his head as William bit his neck. "Always were so easy, weren't you, Knox?" There was a burning agony in his and blood trickled down his stomach. He cried out and tossed his head, almost screaming as William drove his scythe deeper. "How does anyone put up with it?"

"Give up, Alice," the redhead giggled. "Give in to your nature, this is your last chance before we have to do something more drastic. Give into your demonic nature. Give in and become our leader. Give in to it, Ronald. Save yourself from him."

* * *

><p>"Ronnie," Grell whispered hoarsely. "Ronnie, wake up." Ronald was shaking and sweating with tears slipping down his cheeks. "Ronnie?"<p>

He his eyes snapped open and Grell jerked back, staring down at him. After a few moments, Ronald took deep breaths and closed his eyes again. Grell sighed and stroked his cheeks, brushing away his tears. He'd heard Ronald wasn't well and wasn't sleeping well.

"Morning," Ronald whispered.

"Afternoon, Ronnie dear," he said quietly. "Are you ok? You don't seem to have a fever anymore."

"How did you know about that?"

"I stopped in on Eric and Alan," Grell said. "They were worried about you, so I stopped over. You're like a son to me." Ronald cracked one eye open and Grell knew he was thinking how creepy that was. He always did. For some reason Ronald didn't appreciate his sentiments. He never did. "I'm sorry I haven't been around, Ronnie."

Ronald smiled and patted his arm. "Lie down with me, Grell. It's ok. I know you're hurting right now. William is too. He's just working all the time. He doesn't want to think about it. Do you want to talk?"

"Yes... but not about her," Grell replied as Grim bounced up and rolled over between them. "You talk. What are you bad dreams about, what's going on? Tell me."

Ronald frowned and rubbed Grim's stomach as he purred loudly. For a few moments Grim's purring was the only sound until finally Ronald turned to him. "I'm afraid, Grell."

"Ronald?" he whispered.

"William listens but I don't think he hears me properly sometimes," Ronald murmured, snuggling into Grim's fur. "It's not his fault. It's not that he's being mean or anything, I just think he's been putting it down to the fever and what I've been through, I think he doesn't want to think this is something he can't protect me from."

"He doesn't like things he can't control," he said quietly. "I don't blame him. I wouldn't want to lose someone I love to something I couldn't do a thing about or to stop... or didn't even know about..."

"She saved us, Grell," he said quietly. "Well, she saved Alan. I'm not so sure about me yet."

"Don't talk like that. What's wrong?"

"There's a serum that created the hybrids," he whispered. "I think that's the poison that made me sick. I don't think it's working at full strength, I think it needs a few doses but it's having some effect. I can feel them, Grell. They were made using me, my blood, like how demons can sense different races, they can feel each other. I can feel them. Everyone thinks it's in my head."

Grell patted his head and Ronald smiled. "I believe you. I don't know if what you're saying is true or not, I don't know if you're going to turn into one of those things or not but you're afraid, and that's the important thing. If you're so scared, then we need to make you not scared again."

Ronald nodded slowly and closed his eyes once more. "Thanks, Grell."

He smiled gently and picked Grim up. Ronald got up, following him quickly through to the spare bathroom across the apartment. Grim seemed to know what was coming and squirmed and yowled. They ran a few inches of warm water and set Grim in the water, washing him slowly. Ronald just sat there at his side, watching quietly.

"I don't want to be weak anymore, Grell," he whispered suddenly. Grell frowned and Grim splashed in the water. "I'm always the one who gets hurt and into trouble. I don't want to be such a burden. Will you help me get stronger, Grell? Please? You're like one of the most unstoppable reapers there is." Grell smiled and blushed slightly. Well, everyone knew Ronald was extremely good with words. He knew how to get what he wanted. He knew that, but looking into those big, babyish eyes he just wanted to protect him and to stop him suffering. "Please, you're the only one who can help me do this. And then we can go after these hybrids together, we can make them pay right?"

Taking a few moments to consider it, Grell glanced over him. He'd just recovered from a fever, William wasn't going to appreciate him taking Ronald off for training. He grabbed Ronald's hands and pulled him into a tight hug. Amazingly, Ronald didn't jerk back or push him off as he had almost every time before in the past few months. He wrapped his arms around him tightly, trying to keep from crying. Those hybrids had taken so much from him already, they weren't getting Ronald too. They were abominations, freaks of nature that need to be wiped out. Obviously they didn't value life or they wouldn't brutally slaughter reapers. If they wanted help like they'd told Ronald, why would the isolate the race that would be most willing to do so? No, he wasn't going to sit back and let them take Ronald away from him too.

"I'll help you, Ronnie. We're going to make them pay."

Grim plopped into the laps and mewled up at them, shaking off his fur so it puffer up. Ronald laughed and grabbed him with the towel, wrapping him up and hugging him tight as he patted him dry. It brought a small smile to Grell's lips. Poor Ronald. And William. He sighed and shook his head. William seemed to be ignoring everything from what he'd heard, just drawing back into himself and becoming completely insular. No wonder Ronald was suffering. It wasn't William's fault, of course. No one could blame William for suffering, even it William wouldn't admit he was.

"Leave a note for Will when we go."

"Where've you even been all this time?"

"With the Undertaker, Ronnie, where else? I've been finding out everything I can so I can make them pay."


	10. Chapter 10

"He's never going to learn anything if you keep going easy on him, Grell," the Undertaker chuckled. "He's here to learn." Grell paused, cutting of his engine for a moment, watching Ronald panting heavily and wiping a bit of blood from his cheek. The Undertaker frowned then laughed. "You know, the hybrids are only alive because of him. If it helps, he created them. If he hadn't got so worked up and run off they'd never have been created. She'd still be alive. It's his fault she's dead." Something clicked and snapped inside Grell, they could pretty much see the wheels turning, as that sunk in and Ronald's eyes widened, the colour draining from him face as the engine roared back to life. "And she died saving him."

Grell snarled, shooting forwards towards, straight at him. Tightening his grip on his pair of knives, Ronald tried to convince himself Grell knew he hadn't meant for Michelle to die. It wasn't his fault, it was just a way to get him rattled and make him fight with all his strength. It wasn't his fault. Michelle had made her choice, there was nothing he could have done. He couldn't have helped, he'd probably have just got in the way if he tried. Grell slashed his chainsaw downwards and Ronald swung aside, copying a move he'd seen Michelle do with Grell time after time as if it was a routine. Grell's scythe hit the ground and stuck for moment and Ronald vaulted his back, landing just behind and to the side, swinging around and landing a kick on his chest, knocking him back and knocking the wind from him.

Moments later Grell tackled him to the ground, one hand firmly around his throat, the other grabbing his scythe. He snatched a handful of Ronald's hair and pulled his head back, nails raking his scalp as his scythe roar into life once more. He tried to pull his arms up and get his scythes to block but his arms were pinned firmly at his side by Grell's legs.

"What did she say?" he snarled. Ronald stared up at him, shooting the Undertaker a pleading look. Why the hell had he said that? Why wasn't he helping? "What did she say? What was the last thing she said?"

"She- we asked her how she found us, she said she'd followed her demon!" Ronald cried.

"That's enough, Grell," the Undertaker said gently, pulling Grell away. "You have a demon to hunt." There was a nagging, whispering voice in the back of Ronald's mind telling him that the Undertaker had said all that just for a few minutes of reaction, which he ignored as best he could, and he sat up slowly staring up at Grell, even as the Undertaker pulled him up. "Do you see, Ronald? How quickly he managed to overpower you?"

"What on earth are you lot doing?" William snapped suddenly. Ronald turned to William in the doorway. He strode over and caught Ronald's upper arms, glaring down at him. "What are you _thinking_? You have been in bed with a fever for nearly three days, what is going through your head right now? Why would you honestly think it was a good idea to be doing this kind of brutal work after that? What are you thinking?"

"William, I-"

"You weren't thinking, were you? You just barrel into thing without giving anything a _second's_ thought. Why do you keep doing this?"

"Will, leave him alone," Grell snarled, his scythe's engine roaring back into life. "He hasn't done anything wrong. Leave him alone."

"Is there any point in me constantly trying to help you, and fix you up after you get hurt or sick or kidnapped when you're just going to do it all over again?" he continued. Ronald could only stare up at him, completely confused. He hadn't meant to make him angry or upset. He was only trying to be stronger, so he was less of a burden. How had it suddenly gone so wrong? "Do you like being hurt? Is that why you keep doing this? Or is it just that you like being babied and pitied? Or perhaps you think so little of me that you think the only way we'll stay together is if I'm constantly having to look after you? Heaven only knows what goes on in your mind sometimes. Why do you keep doing this to me? Why won't you listen?"

Finally, Ronald snapped, shoving William off with a sudden burst of strength, sending him staggering back. "If it was up to you I'd sit in bed with nothing sharp and nothing exciting in case I got hurt. You seem to want to lock me up in a padded room where only you can come anywhere near me because everything is too dangerous for me. I get that you're hurt right now and I get that you're grieving, but you can't keep me safe from everything and I don't want to keep being protected and saved."

"Then stop being so stupid. I am _trying_ to keep you safe. If you die from your own stupidity what good is Michelle's death? She died saving you and you're just going to throw that sacrifice away by running in blindly in danger. Why are you being so stupid? Just go home and stay there, you're sick. Go home so I can stop worrying about you and the adults can do something useful."

Ronald stared back at him, debating arguing back, but in the end nodded and lowered his head. William didn't mean it really. He was worried and grieving. He wasn't thinking straight. And he supposed he did have a point. He did keep getting into trouble. It wasn't that he was trying to hurt him. William was just saying thing without thinking, he wasn't holding back and being polite and everything was getting to him. It was nothing to take offense at. He was just snapping because he was stressed. He'd make it better later. For now, he was best to just do as William said. He needed to calm down and think straight again. He slid his scythes back into their sheaths and strode out.

"Ronnie," Grell called. He glanced back. "I'm sorry about... losing my temper. It wasn't your fault."

"It's fine, Grell," he whispered. "William's right though, I shouldn't be here. I'm useless, I'll just get in the way."

William turned, his fingers brushing his as he walked out but Ronald didn't stop, just carried on. "Ronald... I-"

"It's fine, you're right, I'm going to go home so you can stop worrying."

He shut the door to the room and strode out into the Undertaker's back room through into the funeral parlour. People said things they didn't mean when they were grieving. Reapers weren't used to it, they didn't really get it. They needed someone to blame, some sort of explanation. William was protecting him, like he always did, but after losing Michelle, he was just more stressed and worried. Of course he was worried. He had every right to be so upset.

He sighed and leant against the side of the shop, watching the people passing at the end of the street as he shoved his hands into his pockets. He should go home like William told him to but... What if he meant it? What if he really was just getting in the way? What if William was right and he was only causing trouble and should just stay at home and do as he was told? They always had to risk their lives to save him after all. No one else had been in so much trouble. Suddenly there was a hand offered to him and he jerked his head up, expecting to see Grell, or maybe William, there to comfort him and bright him back in.

"Don't you want to show them how strong you are? How strong you can be?"

"...how...?"

"It's a big risk and it won't be easy, but you can do it. You can be so strong."

He frowned, then nodded slowly and reached out, soft hands wrapping around his and pulling him forwards, into the dark shadows of the back alleys with a flash of red eyes. There was the soft click of heels behind him and the familiar rev of Grell's scythe but Ronald just followed further into the darkness, entranced by those glittering red eyes, even knowing how demonic they really were and that he was being lured in like so many humans. He was already ensnared by the pretty words and promises of strength and power and finally making everyone see he wasn't a stupid child who needed protecting. And even _knowing_ he was being pulled in by sweet words and promises he was following without question.

"Ronnie," Grell cried, the sound of the engine coming ever closer. "Ronnie, don't go with him. Ronald!"

* * *

><p>"I shouldn't have snapped," William said quietly, sitting on one of the Undertaker's coffins. "I didn't mean to hurt him."<p>

"It's alright," the Undertaker said, patting his head, picking up a jar and offering it to him. "Cookie?" William shook his head slightly. "Too bad." He took one and bit into it. "Don't worry, Mr Spears. It's perfectly natural to experience some out of character moments when you're grieving. People get somewhat erratic. There are many different ways of dealing with it."

"I just want to keep him safe," he said. "If Michelle lost to them-" He stopped and shook his head as the Undertaker offered him a beaker of tea. "What if I can't protect him?"

"He doesn't want to be protected anymore." William frowned and tapped his scythe against the floor. He _needed_ to be protected. "You should take some time off work."

"I want to work." William frowned. "No. No, I need to work. I need to keep my mind off things." He sighed and closed his eyes. "I need to work or I'll start thinking about what happened between us. I should have been there anyway, I shouldn't have just left him to go out on his own. If I'd been there with them, maybe I could have stopped them getting kidnapped or saved Michelle."

"I know, many people get that sort of feeling." He sat next to him and pulled out another biscuit to nibble on. "Some people blame themselves and spend years thinking about what ifs. And some blame the victim. How could Michelle be so stupid as to go in when she was obviously outnumbered by creatures she knew nothing of when she could have just left with Alan and Ronald and stayed with them? Why do all that just for a human brat?"

"It wasn't her fault."

"It was her mistake."

"Sutcliff got them in that mess. She wouldn't have been there if he'd looked after Ronald and Alan. I should never have let them go with him. If anything happens to Ronald because of his idiocy I'm never going to forgive him, or myself." The Undertaker nodded. "I just want to keep him safe but I just end up pushing him away."

"It's normal. I often see it with mothers who've lost a child. She will tighten her grip on the remaining kids and smoother them with protection because she can't bear to lose another of her babies. In the past few months you've lost two of the most important people in your life, both your first girlfriend and your first boyfriend. And honestly, from what I've heard, you've never been too bothered by the other two. Ronald is far more precious to you than either of them on an intimate level. You love him. It's only normal that you'd tighten your hold on Ronald and try to make sure you don't lose him too. Once bitten twice as shy. Thrice? Much like over compensating. It's normal, I'm sure he'll understand. Perhaps instead of being too protective, you should show him how not to make the same mistakes, and remind him how much he means to you, just in case. Ronald said he thinks he's a burden on you, perhaps you should help him with that, it'll help ease your worries and his."

"I should go and apologise," William said, his eyes, face and voice becoming cool, calm and blank once more, trying not to show how much the Undertaker's words had affected him. "And find out what Ronald and Grell are doing. Why is there so much noise out there?"

He stood and strode towards the door, leaving an untouched beaker of tea behind him, only for Grell to burst in with blood on his scythe, panting heavily. "Ronald. A demon, maybe one of those hybrids. He pulled him away. He looked like he was going willingly. Demons had that thing where they use lure victims in with charm and charisma, right?"

"It doesn't work on reapers," William snapped.

"What if it does for hybrids?" Grell said. "I didn't see his face but he took Ronnie. We have to find him."

"Do you see why I get so annoyed now? Because you keep putting him in danger. You should have protected him when those hybrids turned up and then you drag him out here only to watch him getting taken again? You're supposed to be a grown up, Sutcliff. You're supposed to be responsible."

"Will? I've never seen you like this."

William nodded slowly and closed his eyes for a moment, adjusting his glasses. Of course it wasn't like him. He needed to calm down and think rationally. It wasn't Grell's fault, there was no way he could have known things would go wrong. And William was the one who had upset Ronald this time. He'd told him to go home. He was only doing as he was told.

"You're right, Sutcliff, I apologise."

"It's ok, Will," he cried, throwing his arms around him. For once, William allowed him to stay there, clinging to him. "It's ok. You're hurting too. You're showing you're not so cold and heartless. You really cared about her."

"Yes, I suppose."

"So," the Undertaker said, chuckling slightly at William's annoyed glance. "If you two are finished?" Grell let William go and William quickly straightened himself out. "You should probably start moving before the creature gets too far away."

"If we don't find him soon we're going to have to tell Eric we lost him," Grell said. "That's not going to go down well."

* * *

><p>Alan frowned as Eric offered him a bowl. He hadn't even known he was cooking anything, but there was a hot, steaming bowl. He licked his lips and took it slowly, glancing up at Eric, who looked very proud of himself.<p>

"What is it?"

"Desert, what does it look like?" Alan took a spoonful and smiled. "Hot chocolate fudge cake with lovely chocolate custard. You can stop looking so sad now."

"I'm not looking sad," Alan said quietly, taking another mouthful and offering Eric a mouthful. "Am I?"

"Yes," Eric said gently. "It doesn't suit you." He sighed and wrapped his arms around Alan's shoulders, pulling him onto his lap as he ate quietly. "You know she wouldn't want this. It's almost like some sort of karma, isn't it? She helped you through when I had to fake my death, now I have to help you through her actual death."

"Stop saying that," he snapped.

"What?"

"Stop saying she's dead. She's not." He turned and glared up at him. "I can _feel_ it, Eric, like I could feel you were still alive, in my gut, you know? She can't honestly be dead, can she?"

Eric sighed and leant his chin against his shoulder. "I don't know, sweetheart. I wish I could tell you she's out there somewhere, hiding and up to something, but I'm not sure I can buy even she's capable of getting out of this. I think perhaps we should just accept it and move on. If Michelle wants to hide, we're not going to find her. If she's alive, she'll find us when she's ready. You know that. There's no way of forcing Michelle's hand."

Alan nodded slowly. Eric was right, he supposed. Whatever was going on, if there was something going on, they were being kept in the dark. They didn't have much right to ask or be told anymore. Their division had higher security clearance than the rest of their co-workers at their rank, and Eric had higher security clearance than some of the management level reapers but since he left the Midnight Branch and returned to normal duty he no longer had the right to know about top secret operations unless they had a reason to involve him. For now, Alan decided he'd just have to accept that she was dead until there was news otherwise.

"Don't cry, sweetheart," Eric whispered. "Don't cry."

"Why did she have to die?" Alan whimpered.

"How do we go from she's not dead to she's dead in a matter of seconds?"

"You're not funny, Eric." Taking a spoonful of the cake, Eric muttered something that sounded like '_too bad_' and Alan elbowed his lightly in the ribs. "Stop eating my cake. You don't make me something to cheer me up and then eat it yourself. Why don't you seem to care that Michelle is dead, Eric? Why don't you seem to give a damn about what happened to her?"

"Because you're in pain," he said gently, kissing his cheek. "I'd rather look after you first. Of course I care she's dead. Michelle was a good friend, she helped me through a lot, she looked after you for me and she saved you but... it could have been you or Ron. She made that choice. She knew the risks and she made her choice to save you two and try to save Maddie. She was a big girl, nothing you could have said or done would have stopped her, you know that and I know that. You're hurting though, and that's the most important thing to me."

"What about you though?" Alan said, popping in another spoonful of cake. "Shouldn't you take your time to grieve too?"

"I am, sweetheart," Eric said, stealing another bit of his cake as Alan glared up at him. "This is one slice of cake, there are also several baskets of chocolate cupcakes, which I'll probably give to Ron, he'll love them, a strawberry cheese cake and our lunch and dinners are sorted for the next three weeks."

"You cook when you're upset."

"Yep."

Alan smiled weakly and leant against Eric's chest as they shared the last of the cake. He closed his eyes and his thoughts drifted to William and Ronald. They knew William was still working. He was throwing himself into his work, like he always did when he was troubled. It seemed to be his natural reaction to anything negative; bury himself in work and completely ignore everything else. He wasn't sure that was very healthy but Ronald would make sure he took care of himself. He'd never seen William show too much emotion. Obviously, when he was off work and with Ronald he was softer and sweeter and seemed almost normal, but he didn't really smile, he just had a softer, more relaxed look on his face and in his eyes. He'd never really seen him lose his temper either or look hurt. There were moments were worry or fear would flash across his eyes for a moment, but then it was gone. The closest he'd got was when William and the others had killed Marcus for what he did for Ronald and once when he'd got into a fight with Eric. He wasn't sure what Eric had said but apparently William had appreciated it and Eric had come off worse when Alan and Ronald managed to get them apart. Even then, William had seemed so calm, like he wasn't really angry, just doing training or a job.

Grell was a mess too. He'd stopped by earlier in the day after being missing for over two days. He'd seemed so quiet and calm and _normal_. Seeing him acting like a normal, grieving friend was a little disconcerting. He was so quiet and still. And just like William, didn't want to talk about it. He'd been more interested what was going on with Ronald. Everyone seemed to be in denial.

There was a bang on the door and before either could say a word, or move, Grell burst in. "We need to go to the Undertaker's."

"What's happened?" Alan said quietly.

"Ronnie, a demon or a hybrid took Ronnie," Grell cried. "We need to find him. He's scared of them enough as it is-"

"Wait, what's happening?" Eric said. "What are you talking about?"

"We can fill you in on the way. For now, the Undertaker and Will and waiting. _Impatiently_."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Well hello from the bottom of the chapter. Yes, it's actually kind of weird writing at the bottom of the page today. There is a reason why I'm down here today, don't worry. Firstly, three daily updates in a row, go me. Don't start expecting daily updates all the time, I'm not that good. So... why am I down here? Because I didn't want to spoil the plot for this chapter. The plot can go one of two ways from here. One involves brianwashing Ronnie the other, is unbrainwashed but very bad Ronnie. Does anyone get the feeling Mina and I have a favourite character? I'm not sure which plot to use yet...

Also, my sister (not Mina, the baby sister who takes a basic interest in these things so she doesn't get left out) brought up an interesting question; we don't know the mechanics of how you become a demon or reaper, so what if you can somehow be turned from one to the other, so would Will still love Ronnie if he somehow ended up as a demon or would his hatred for demons be too much? Interesting question, one Mina and I couldn't agree on an answer for. I wish we knew more offical info about how the immortals work.

Anyway, thank you for reading and please review, thank you to all those who have and do.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** Honestly, I just couldn't leave you on such a cliffhanger. So... someone we haven't see in a while returns and poor Ronnie's in danger. Not that it's surprising. Poor little Ronnie's always in danger. And when it's not him it's Alan. So, thank you for all your reviews, please keep them coming.

* * *

><p>"Ready to go?" Eric said quietly.<p>

William nodded and strode out from the academy grounds. Eric, Alan and Grell were waiting for him, as they had been every day for the past week. William was going out of his mind with worry. There hadn't been a word from Ronald the entire time. The four had worked and William had gone to the academy to teach as normal, but they spent every hour they could until they were too exhausted to move any further looking for any sign of Ronald. They'd checked most of London, all the usual places demons would hide, and the area surrounding the hollow where they found the bodies. Today they were going out to the woods where the hybrids had first appeared. The Undertaker had helped them all he could, as long as they kept him amused, but he seemed as in the dark about it as the rest of them.

Out in the woods there were still signs of the battle. He hated to think what could have happened to Ronald in a week. Finding Ronald was the most important thing. He didn't want the last thing he'd said to him to be such harsh words. After losing Michelle... he wasn't going to lose Ronald too. He _couldn't_ lose Ronald too.

"Lost something?" Ian purred. They glanced up to see him sitting in a tree above William's head. He smiled and dropped back, landing in a neat crouch before standing slowly and tilting his head. "You're searching for something. What have you lost, Mr Spears?"

"You again," Grell snarled, lunging for him only for William to catch his hand. "Will?"

"You said you wanted Ronald," William said. "Where have you taken him?"

"You-"

"Sutcliff," he snapped. "Well, Ian?"

"What makes you think I have him, Mr Spears?" Ian murmured. "Wouldn't that be a little obvious?"

"Why do you want him?" Eric snapped.

"Because he's the one they were created from," Grell said.

"Yes," Ian said, folding his arms. "And if I had him you'd know. It takes three does at roughly three and a half day intervals to turn a human into a hybrid. It would assume it's similar for a reaper. If I kidnapped him after roughly four days since his first dose I would administer the next dose straight away and he would be a on the tail end of the last one by now. I would have brought him over here to gloat. He wouldn't be able to deny what he was. I don't have him. I haven't felt him since the last dose wore off. Which is a shame. I only had one spare dose, I had hoped to get him soon after his first dose so I'd still have a spare. I guess when I do find him again I'll have to take better measures to keep him in my possession."

"Why let him go then?" Alan said quietly. Ian glanced over and Eric growled, wrapping his arms around him protectively. "If you only had one spare dose, why hurt him and let us go?"

Ian laughed softly. "I wanted him to return home, to keep an eye on you lot. Perhaps to turn you to our cause too. Although, it didn't work. Do you know, we hunger like demons? Yet we have some sort of soul. A half soul I suppose. Much like reapers and humans, we have a soul, but like demons, our bodies regenerate within hours, apparently, so can our souls. We can feed off each other, it's rather fascinating, but not as sustaining as a human soul... or a reaper's... See, now I've already fed from those closest to me, it's the best way from them to go, I feel, so how I do wonder if he'd feed off you?"

William released Grell's wrist. Grell tore forwards, scythe roaring. Moments later Eric bolted passed. William wasn't going to stop them. If he didn't have Ronald and wasn't going to be useful then he didn't see any reason to stop them. They all needed to be exterminated anyway. Ian smirked and ducked around them gracefully.

"Michelle's demon," Alan said quietly. William glanced down at him and he smiled weakly. "She said he was how she found us. He knew about them."

William nodded and turned away. "We're going. You two can finish him off or not, I don't really care."

They paused for a moment before slowly turning and following them back towards London. If there was even a chance Julian was involved he was going to slaughter him. Well, no, he was going to let Eric and Grell slaughter him. William didn't usually get involved with their games. He let them do it generally. He'd only got involved once, with was a single strike on Marcus Lance, after he tortured and attempted murder Ronald and was very nearly successful at it. He'd managed to do it in such a way that even the doctors believed he had attempted suicide and wanted to lock him away for safety. Out of everything that had happened over the years that, along with Marcus' graphic descriptions of how he'd abused Ronald in the hospital without anyone noticing and acting like William should have been proud of him, was the only thing that had ever made him angry enough to lash out. This was tempting though. If they'd turned Ronald into a hybrid he was going to hurt whoever was responsible.

Julian pulled open the door with a small, satisfied smirk as he stepped aside to let them in. He looked far too amused for someone who had just lost a mistress. "Welcome, Mr Spears. It's been a while since your last visit."

"Michelle is dead, demon," William said.

"I'm well aware of that," Julian said, sitting on one of the chairs. "It was her fault. She should have known better."

"She followed you!" Grell snapped.

"You have no proof of that," he laughed. "I've not done anything but what she told me to. If you had proof I'd done anything but what she'd told me to, let alone killed her, you'd have killed me by now with the full endorsement of your superiors. So, if you're sure you're right, go ahead and kill me."

"We know it was you," Eric said.

But he was right. If they had any proof they'd have killed him right now rather than confronting him. He had to say something incriminating or they could be punished for illegal execution, even if he was a demon. Killing a demon without a cause _was_, unfortunately, illegal. They had _nothing_ and the longer they waited the longer Ronald was in danger.

* * *

><p>"Are you going to tell me how you're alive yet?" Ronald whispered. "I keep asking."<p>

"And I keep ignoring you," Daniel said, helping him sit up. He offered him a bowl soup and Ronald sighed, slowly taking it. "Eat up. The changes to your body are still taking their toll on you, it's best you keep your strength up."

"I killed you," he said, eating quietly.

"You attempted to," he laughed. "Tell me, little reaper, how do three reapers from supposedly the best division in the country, and one of the best in the world, manage to forget to cut a record?"

Ronald's eyes widened as he realised he was right. They had completely forgotten to cut the record. He returned to eating, quietly glaring up at Daniel. He was one of the more powerful demons Ronald had come across. He'd worked with Michelle for longer than Ronald had been alive. Of course, he was preferable to the hybrids. William often commented that he and Michelle deserved each other. Two egotistical, manipulative and ruthless creatures waiting for any excuse to take advantage of anyone who looked even a little useful, of course William didn't appreciate them being anywhere near each other.

"Michelle is dead." Daniel glanced down at him. "You know that, don't you? She's dead. Those hybrids murdered her."

"Yes," Daniel said, taking his empty bowl. "But they want you alive."

"You're really just going to hand me over to them?" Ronald said. He sighed and closed his eyes, a dizzy fever coming over him. "I don't feel too good."

"It's took be expected. As I told you, your body has changed, you need time to adjust. Lie back and rest, you should recover by tomorrow."

"Just to be given another two doses that will make me sick again. If I was strong enough, I'd have kicked your ass by now."

"I'm sure. And to answer your question, yes, I am just going to hand you over to them," Daniel said, helping him lie back. "You're going to have to put up with it, you're too weak to do anything to fight."

Ronald panted heavily, closing his eyes and trying to think clearly enough to make sense as his fever clouded his mind again. "Why would you work with them? They killed Michelle. I thought you loved her."

"I do."

Ronald closed his eyes, listening quietly to the sounds of the small country house. After a week there was nothing of interest. The lady of the house didn't seem to even know he was there. There were hoof beats outside in the courtyard and quiet voices. That made it half six. The lady went out riding everyday at seven and then again at half six. Some days Ronald watched her go, sometimes Daniel went with her. Ronald considered slipping away early on, he'd been lured in and now he needed to get away but then he'd remember what William said to him and ended up staying. It stung. Even knowing he was just grieving and didn't mean it, it still hurt that he'd even consider saying it, stressed and hurting or not. And then he'd fallen into a fever again and been reliant on Daniel bringing him up food and looking after him. He was barely able to move from the bed some days. He drifted off into a quiet, light sleep, waiting for news.

"Wake up, little one," whispered a soft voice against his ear. "Darling, wake up. It's just a nightmare."

"William."

His eyes snapped open and he turned slowly. William wasn't there, instead it was the lady of the house, a brunette woman around twenty with sharp blue eyes, hidden behind her glasses. He smiled weakly. She was in a dark skirt, a crisp white blouse and a black stock tie, her dark jacket unbuttoned casually. She smiled gently.

"Good evening, sleepy," she said. Ronald groaned and tried to sit up only for her told him down gently. "Easy now, don't work yourself up. You're not well."

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't mean to just turn up here. Daniel brought me."

"I know. I've known you've been here all week. Here, little one." She unfastened a skull shaped, deep green broach from her tie and slipped it into his trouser pocket. "Keep it safe. It'll help you through your suffering. My first love gave it to me for my birthday."

Ronald nodded slowly. "Thank you."

He frowned and took a deep breath. She had a lovely, relaxing sent. In his fever pitch he was noticing strange things like that. He sighed and closed his eyes, slowly breathing in the rich, warm citrusy scent. She stepped away as the door opened and he suddenly realised why it was so familiar.

"Michelle..."

"My lady," Daniel said. Ronald opened his eyes again and turned slowly. "There's some chocolate cake and tea waiting in the sitting room."

"Oh. Ok, bye."

She hurried off and Daniel stepped in again, slowly striding over to the bed, his eyes flashing red for a moment. Ronald turned away until the door opened and closed once more and he turned his gaze back again. Just a few steps behind Daniel was Ian. He smiled and sat on the bed, facing him. Ronald tried to roll away but Ian caught his shoulder and pulled him back around, leaning over him with a small smirk.

"Your friends are searching for you, Ronald," he said quietly. "They've very worried. But then, by the time they find you, it'll be too late. Will you hold him for me, Daniel?" Ronald turned away as best he could but Daniel kept him still as Ian caught his chin. "You've given him his first dose?"

"Yes."

"Good. Come on, Ronald," he said, almost gently. "Open up." Struggling as much as his condition would allow, Ronald managed to kick Ian in the side. Although in his weakened state it was barely enough to move him even a little off the bed, it did serve to annoy him. Ian leant forwards and tightened his grip on his chin. "Open your mouth, Ronald. I don't _want_ to hurt you."

Daniel chuckled. "I don't mind."

There was a loud, sharp crack and Ronald's head whipped aside. It took him a moment to realise Daniel had slapped him and only seconds later, before he could fully recover, Ian pulled him back around, pouring a disgusting, warm liquid down his throat. He coughed and twisted and spluttered but it was too late. Next thing he knew he was being washed, dressed and wrapped in a warm, hooded cloak. He groaned, letting Ian and Daniel do as the pleased, his fever already worsening to the point where his vision blurred and his head pounded. He was ready to collapse back into bed.

Instead of letting him fall back into bed though, they guided him out into the evening light. Thank heavens it was summer or it would have been absolutely freezing and pitch dark. Ian climbed up into the carriage waiting and offered Ronald his hand. As he climbed up, stumbling slightly and just about managing even with Daniel and Ian's help, he glanced back to see the lady of the house standing with the horses at the front of the carriage. Two big, black horses, lean and elegant but still strong, not the like the Undertaker's trio of heavy, strong draft horses. The door to the carriage closed and she stepped back, leaning against Daniel.

"Why must we be surrounded by such idiots, Daniel?" she muttered as they pulled off.

"Karma, I would think, my lady," Daniel replied.

Ronald groaned and fell back against the seat only for Ian to pull him over gently and let him rest his head on his lap, gently stroking his hair. Was it possible? She dressed as Michelle did when she'd been hiding out as a human, and she'd adjusted her glasses in the same way Michelle did, a way very similar to William and Grell, unsurprising since they'd grown up with her as their senior, but she was dead. Everyone had seen it. She was dead. But then, everyone had thought Eric was dead too, hadn't they? They'd all seen Ronald's scythe make contact, how he'd hit his head. Everyone had thought he was dead but he hadn't been. And then... when he'd asked Daniel about loving her. He said he did. Not that he had but he _did_, like she was still alive.

"Michelle..."

"Are you still muttering about her?" Ian said. "She's dead, Ronald, I killed her myself." He growled but was too exhausted to do anything else. "Don't be sad. You know, she was grinning when she died. She said I had no idea what I was doing because she always wins in the end. Cocky bitch."

"Don't talk about her like that," he breathed. "She's right."

"Oh? You think so?"

"I know," Ronald said, his eyes closing slowly. "She's right, because she's always got a backup plan. You'll be sorry you messed with her."

"She's dead," Ian said.

"Doesn't matter," he replied. "She's set you up to take a fall, even if she's dead, she's left everything we need to beat you. It's just a matter of time because William figures it out."

"It's just a matter of time before he gives up on you," he snapped. "Sooner or later he'll give up, decide there's no use looking anymore because you're either dead or gone forever. Or maybe he'll figure out it's not as much hassle with you gone. Isn't that what he said, what pushed you away from him? He thinks you're just a waste of time, you only get in the way and cause trouble. You need protecting. Seems to me like this is just another case of him being proved right. You've been kidnapped and he's out looking for you. Maybe he'll just give up." He sighed and patted Ronald's head. "You should sleep, you're not well. I'll wake you when we arrive."

Ronald wished he could deny it, but he was exhausted and wanted desperately to sleep. He was struggling to stay awake as he was. He shifted slightly and began to drift off. He didn't want to sleep. The nightmares would be worse than ever after the amount of serum building up in his system, slowly changing his body. He didn't want more nightmares but his mind and body were screaming at him to rest. He couldn't deny it any longer. He gave fighting and fell into a deep sleep.

Ian smiled softly, watching Ronald sleeping. He was a rather attractive little reaper, for a child. Despite his initial doubts, he'd decided it was better that it had been a child the experiments had been successful on. He couldn't see his plans working nearly as well on an older reaper, particularly if they were more like that bunch of misfits working with Ronald. Hopefully, Ronald's age would make him more susceptible to his plan and easier to control. Perhaps he could even figure out a way to use him to get others on side. Those were things to think about later though. For now he had less than a week to break Ronald down and rebuild him as what he wanted.

It had been a stroke of luck, Daniel picking up Ronald and being willing to hand him over with pretty much no argument at all. It was almost too easy and he began to wonder just what Daniel was up to by making contact and _offering_ him Ronald. It all seemed a little suspicious. Still, soon he'd have Ronald under his control and all the knowledge that he had. It wasn't long until he'd have an army of unstoppable hybrids that could remove everyone who stood in their way. All it needed was the secrets reapers were taught in the academy that made them so dangerous. It was all falling so perfectly into place.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** Well, there's not much I can say without giving it away. Will, Eric, Grell and Alan are dealing with things they don't want to think about, Ronnie's suffering and Grim. Don't forget Grim. Thank you for all your lovely reviews and please keep them coming.

* * *

><p>William sighed and collapsed back against his couch. His body was aching, screaming for him to take a long, relaxing bath, a hot drink, maybe something stronger, then curl up in bed and never wake up again. He closed his eyes slowly and rubbed his forehead. Yet another day of searching had come up empty. Alan sat at his side, Grell on the other side of him, while Eric turned to the kitchen. Eric cooked when he was upset, William and Grell knew that well. When they were younger, before William became supervisor and when Eric had only been with them a few months, they'd lost one of their division and Eric had cooked for all of them for several weeks. They all loved when Eric cook. It was usually only on special occasions but he was by far the best cook they'd ever met. At least that was something to pick him up a little<p>

"We'll find him, Will," Grell said firmly. "Don't give up."

"No one is giving up," William snapped.

"Of course not," Eric said, glancing back at them. "We're not giving up. We're going to find him, even if it takes weeks, months even, we're not giving up."

Of course they weren't. He lowered his head, trying not to look at Ronald's most read copy of Alice in Wonderland. It was his favourite book, along with its sequel. He'd explained once it was because it had so many dark undertones but still seemed so naive and happy. William appreciated that. It was so much like Ronald. He'd suffered and as a result there was something so dark just beneath the surface yet he looked so content and childish. It was that darkness that made him worry all the more.

The little blonde was something of a genius. His files from the academy said he was smart, one of the top in his year, but Ronald was far more. Even though he hid it behind his wild child act, that seemed to be slipping with every passing day, he had quickly learnt that Ronald was smarter than anyone knew. If the hybrids or demons could use his insecurities and fears to turn him against them it could be disastrous. If the higher up found out about this, if they thought Ronald had been turned, they'd be ordered to capture him or kill him if he resisted. He wasn't sure he could bear losing Ronald like that.

"Where are we searching tomorrow?" Grell said.

"Since he's not in London or the surrounding area," William said, "We should spread from there. They can't have gone too far. We just need to keep searching. And no one is to tell any higher ups about this. We all know what will happen if they find out about this risk."

"They'll tell us to bring him in," Grell said.

Eric nodded and sighed. "Dead or alive." William nodded. They all knew it. They had to find him before it got to that stage. William frowned and closed his eyes, rubbing his temples. There had to be something they could do. "What if we didn't do either?"

William's eyes snapped open and he stared over at Eric, along with the others. What else could they do? Alan frowned. "Eric? What are you suggesting?"

"I'm just saying, worst case scenario, if there's no other option, we could try to contain him," Eric said slowly. He wasn't sure he liked what Eric was suggesting. "I know it's hard to think about, but isn't it preferable to killing him. _If_ there's no other option and the higher ups find out... if he's been changed into one of those things and he's a danger to people... Look, I don't like it either, but it's better that killing him, right? We could find him, restrain him and lock him up where he can't hurt anyone, until we can find a way to cure him. If we keep him in the human world, they won't find him and we can look after him."

William nodded thoughtfully. It _was_ a viable option. He would rather see Ronald locked up and hidden away than in a prison, maybe even experimented on or anything like that. Finally, he nodded in a more committed way.

"_If_ there is no other option and he has been changed and is dangerous, then we will talk about it," William said. Alan opened his mouth to argue but William shot his a firm glare. "I don't like it as a plan, but as Slingby said, it's preferable to seeing Ronald locked up so higher ups and doctors can observe him like some sort of guinea pig only to put him to death in the end."

"We should find somewhere suitable before the situation arises then," Alan said with a sigh. "I'll find somewhere tomorrow while you're searching." William nodded. "Do you really think this is going to work?"

"Of course it will," Grell said. "There's no way we can fail."

"It _has_ to work," William muttered.

Eric handed out the plates and set down a bowl on the floor next to couch. Grim scampered over and dropped his head, pushing the bowl across the floor so he was sitting next to William's feet as he ate, nuzzling against him every now and again almost pathetically. It seemed he missed Ronald as much as everyone else. It was quiet as they ate and William's thoughts drifted. Ronald had changed him. When they'd first got together Ronald had been loud, boisterous, a little fake and surrounded by phony friends just because he wanted attention while William was quiet, cold, professional and isolated. No one ever came into his apartment, Grell had been the only one of their division who'd known where he lived. Since their relationship had begun Ronald had pushed him to be more involved with the other members of the division at least, those who were always going to be there for him, even if he didn't always realise it, while William helped Ronald open up and be more than the sweet child people expected him to be. And now here he was, sitting with the other three, like he did a lot of the time, actually. He hadn't liked the idea at first, but after Ronald had moved in he'd encouraged the others to join them and get William involved in their social life.

His thoughts drifted back to Ronald again. It seemed to wrong, the idea of locking him up and restraining him, but if he was a danger to innocent people what choice did they have? They could only hope they found him soon enough, before the hybrids managed to turn him to their cause.

* * *

><p>Ian smirked watching Ronald sleeping fitfully. He was making a point of keeping him in a state of exhaustion. Every half hour, if his nightmares didn't wake him, Ian would then keep him up until he collapsed, physically unable to keep his eyes open any longer. An alarm went off and he strode over, shaking Ronald roughly. His eyes opened slowly and without even giving him a moment to realise what was going on Ian pulled him up to his feet, helping him to dress and pulling him out. Ronald mumbled something incoherent as he dragged him, still shaking from the sudden cold, exhaustion and his fever. Suddenly there was a heavily weight against him and he turned. Ronald had collapsed to his knees, sucking in air desperately. He growled and strode over hooking his arms under his and pulling him back up.<p>

"Stand up."

"No," Ronald whined. "Please, I want to go back to bed. I'm not well."

"Not until you stop living in a silly little dream world," Ian replied firmly. "I know this seems harsh now but you'll thank me for this later, sir."

"Sir?"

"You're our leader, remember? Our creator."

"No."

"Yes. Yes you are. Why are you so insistent on hanging onto people who don't love you? Who've never cared for you? Who've only ever used you? They lied to you, tricked you into believing you were nothing, just to keep you from reaching your full potential, what you were supposed to be. You're our leader, remember?"

"No," he panted. "No. No I'm not."

"Yes, Ronald-"

"Junior Dispatch Officer Ronald Knox," he said. Ian smirked. He was losing his grip already and it had barely been twelve hours. Ian had learnt by now this was what he did to remind himself, to keep focused. "Dispatch and Collection Division 39B, Supervising Officer William T. Spears, London Branch. _That _is who I am."

Ian smirked and pinned him to the wall. Ronald's body was heavy and sluggish as if he was going to collapse any second. "You define yourself by your job, by a rank and number. Do you know, I would have been a bit more sympathetic if you'd told me you define yourself by your relationships? It's funny that you called Mr Spears your supervisor rather than your lover, don't you think? Or have you finally figured out that he doesn't love you? You're nothing more than a sex toy to him, it's just another way to keep you from reaching your full potential. Why else would he tell you that you were useless? The truth is finally coming out about what he really thinks about you."

"You're wrong," Ronald whimpered. Ian frowned. The boy was persistent and determined if nothing else. "He loves me."

Ian grabbed his wrist and pulled him away again. Letting him rest for too long would result in him drifting off where he stood. Ronald stumbled along behind him. He was getting their already. The fact that Ronald had to keep reminding himself of his rank and position, like he was trying to convince himself was a good sign. He pushed him into one of the training rooms, picking up a sword, and swung at him. Yelping in surprise, Ronald stumbled aside and grabbed a pair of knives Ian always left out for him. He wasn't nearly was nearly as fast and agile as every other time he'd fought. In fact he seemed to be getting easier to fight every time. Compared to the time they'd fought in the woods, Ronald was weak and slow but still, somehow, managed to hold his own no matter what the situation or how exhausted he was. He was tough, Ian had to give him that.

Their blades locked again and Ronald stepped away clumsily, ducking as Ian swung his sword before collapsing back against the wall. They'd been at it for over an hour now and he was finally giving out.

"Enough," he gasped, closing his eyes. "Please, I need to sleep."

"Not until you come to your senses," Ian replied. "Now open your eyes and fight."

Ronald managed to open his eyes as Ian swung and him and hit the floor, staggering up and throwing his knives up to keep Ian's sword from cleaving him in two. Of course, he wouldn't actually hurt or kill Ronald. He needed him too badly but it didn't mean he had to take it easy on him. After all, reapers were trained to fight in all sorts of situations, weren't they? Finally, after another half hour or so, Ronald fell back heavily to the floor. Ian frowned and leant over him. He was barely awake anymore.

"I want to go to bed," Ronald groaned.

"Who are you?" Ian said.

"A very tired reaper."

"Name and job position?" he said with a sigh.

"Junior Dispatch Officer Ronald Knox," Ronald breathed.

Ian shook his head and dragged him up. "Wrong. Get up and fight."

"No..." _Why_ did he have to be stuck with a whiny child? Useful as it was to have a child, making him easier to manipulate what with him being so stupid, but _why_ did he have to be so pathetically cute and whiny and babyish? Perhaps he had been telling the truth the first time they'd spoken, perhaps he did get by on his looks and skill in battle. He had said he'd only got his job by sleeping with his boss, even if he thought they were in love. "Let me sleep."

"Name and position?" he snapped, swinging at him again.

"Junior..." He panted heavy and swayed slightly, barely dodging this time. "Junior Dispatch Officer Ronald Knox." It wasn't going to be long before he collapsed and didn't get up. "Please, let me sleep."

"You are going to realise who you are or you're going to work until you collapse," he said, swinging again, slicing across Ronald's cheek. "Those are your options."

"No."

After only another ten minutes, Ronald fell to the ground again, this time completely unconscious. Ian sighed and placed the sword and knives on the table, before calling over a pair from outside to help him take Ronald back to bed, setting another alarm for half an hour's time. That would be the last time he woke Ronald until morning. He did need to sleep too. Then, tomorrow, he'd get back to work.

Lying in his bed, Ronald looked peaceful, his nightmares yet to take him. He frowned and tucked in the youngster, gently kissing his forehead. He frowned, no entirely sure why he'd done that but slowly ran his hand through his hair. His eldest son was seventeen and a rather sweet, young looking blonde. Ian sighed. He'd sit with his son until he was sound asleep when he was a human. That was why he supposed. He was so similar to his son, before he'd fed on his soul. He sorely regretted it now but at the time he'd been so hungry and longing for such a sweet, pure soul. He reached over and adjusted the pillows slightly so he looked more comfortable.

Ronald did look almost angelic, so weak and fragile, his face flushed with fever and somehow pale with exhaustion at the same time, and so peaceful and comfortable, tucked up like a child half his age. It was almost eerie. Looking at the sleeping boy no one would believe he was so fierce in battle, or that he was anything but a pure, unspoilt virgin. And yet, Ian knew from what he'd seen firsthand that Ronald was a ferocious little fighter and was in a very intimate relationship with William. Of course, he couldn't imagine their relationship being anything more than Ronald's first or second, and was simply a curious, naive young boy being given a cosy life by his boss in return for sex on demand. The poor child honestly thought William loved him. It was obvious, to Ian at least, William's protectiveness and need to keep Ronald safe was nothing more than him wanting to keep Ronald _his_ and only his. It was the only explanation for the pair. After all, they were both _men_. For a _proper_ relationship they'd both be with women, wouldn't they? It was obviously only physical. But then, reapers did seem to have such low moral standards as evidenced by that blonde putting his arms so eagerly around Alan. Eric. That was his name, wasn't it? And the redhead who seemed to be built like a light framed man but acted and dressed like female reaper. Reapers were strange creatures, but they must have had some incredible secrets that Ronald would help them unlock.

Ian sighed and switched off the alarm. Let him sleep for now.

* * *

><p>Ronald leant back against William's chest, lounging across his lap as he read, running his hand lovingly through his hair. Almost tempted to purr contentedly, as Grim was on the back of the couch right next to them, he smiled and closed his eyes. It was days like this he adored. Lying with William, not even needing to talk, just sitting peacefully together with a roaring fire, a book, a glass of wine each and, more recently, Grim sitting with them, purring happily. It was days like this that proved everyone who doubted them wrong. William loved him, they were happy together. It infuriated him that no one but their closest friends seemed to understand that. They might have got a little playful in the bedroom, and the office sometimes, and what little of that leaked out to the public made them think Ronald was just a bed warmer and stress reliever more even more than they already did. Things got a little twisted. They heard about things like handcuffs and such things and instantly assumed Ronald was being forced down, chained up and taken roughly whenever and wherever William wanted and Ronald followed along because he was so easy he'd do anything to get laid and live the plush, comfy lifestyle William gave him.<p>

"Shh," William said gently, tipping his chin up and pecking his lips. "Shh, it's ok, darling." He leant down and pressed their lips together, more firmly this time. "You look so sad. What's wrong?"

"Just thinking," he whispered. "About us, you and me, those idiots who think we're just..."

"We are." Ronald frowned and glanced up. "What's wrong?"

"We are what?" he said slowly.

William smiled gently and cupped his cheek, kissing him gently. "It's ok, darling. I love you. You're so stupid sometimes."

Ronald sighed and leant back against him as William turned the page. Of course he loved him. William was right, he was a little stupid some times. His insecurities got the better of him sometimes. Everyone thought he slept around and he only stayed with William as some sort of trophy boyfriend. It was disgusting. They thought it was so simple, all playing up to their stereotypes of what they thought he and William were.

He gasped softly as William dropped his book, sliding his hand slowly up his thigh and unbuckling his belt. "Boss."

"Puppy," he purred, slipping down Ronald's waistband. "My darling Puppy."

He moaned softly as William stroked him roughly and leaning his head back against William's shoulder, bucking his hips against his hand. "I love dreams like this."

"I'm going to find you," William murmured against his neck. "I promise, Ronald, I'm going to find you."

"It's ok," he moaned. "I can wait a bi-"

The rest because muffled as William pushed one of his gloved between his lips. "Hush, Ronald. Stop arguing, I'm going to find you. I just wish I didn't have to kill you when I do."

Ronald gave a startled cry and pulled out the glove. "What?"

"You're one of them. I'm sorry, darling, I can't let you get away. I'm sorry."

"No! William, you don't understand-"

"I'm so sorry."

Ronald's eyes snapped open as he jolted awake. He was back in bed at least. His gaze turned upwards to see Ian sitting next to him, apparently asleep. A quick glance at his watch told him it had been far longer than the usual half an hour. He fell back against the pillow and closed his eyes only for something to snuggle against his hand. His eyes opened ever so slightly, exhaustion already pulling him back to sleep, and jumped violently at the big green eyes blinking back at him.

"Ronald?" Ian muttered. He glanced up, then back at his hand. "Shh, it's ok, just a nightmare, go back to sleep."

Grim had vanished. How was that possible? He was tired. Exhausted. He'd just imagined it. There was just no possible way Grim could be there. Ronald closed his eyes and drifted off again as once again, he was certain something small and fluffy snuggled up in his arms, purring happily.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** Yeah, Grim the super kitty. We've always known he's very good at escaping. It's a cute little chapter with cute little letter. And Ronald's slipping. Or it he? There's something else going on you know. Can Ronnie keep control though? Oh, the drama. Thank you, for your lovely reviews, please keep them coming.

* * *

><p>"Grim," William groaned. "What's wrong with you?" Grim yowled loudly and head butted his hand. William sighed and opened his eyes. "What?" There was a note rolled up piece of paper tied to his collar. William frowned and sat up slowly. Grim scrambled up onto his lap and sat watching him quietly as William undid the note. "Where did you get this?"<p>

He finally got the note free and Grim curled up, apparently happy that his message had been delivered. A quick glance at the clock told him it was far too early, given his had a six thirty shift to work today. He unfolded it slowly and found Ronald's neat, if a little rushed, writing. His heart suddenly raced. Grim had found Ronald. '_I'm ok. Don't worry too much. Make sure you get enough sleep. Ask the Undertaker where Daniel is._' Ronald was worried about _him_? He was so stupid sometimes. How could Ronald be worried about him when he was in danger? He frowned and pulled open a draw took out a small, clean sheet of paper and a pen. If Grim could get to Ronald then there was a chance they could find him quicker. He jotted down a reply and folded it and rolled it up then tied it to Grim's collar.

"However you found him, wherever he is, make sure he keeps his spirits up ok?" Grim stood up on his hind legs, resting his front paws against his chest. He seemed to understand. "He has to keep fighting whatever happens. He has to know we love him and we're going to find him. Don't let him get too down."

Grim climbed off the bed and pushed open the door, waiting for William in the doorway. He sighed and got up slowly. This news had pushed his mind into overdrive. He wasn't going to sleep again that morning. He dressed slowly and strode out into the living room, putting down a bowl of food for Grim and making himself a coffee. Ronald was alive and well, that was good news, the first bit of good new he'd had in a while.

"Will?" Spinning on the spot, and almost spilling his coffee, William found Grell staring up at him from the couch. He frowned. "What time is it?"

"Four in the morning," William said. "What are you still doing here?"

"I slept here. What's going on?" Grell said with a yawn. "You look tired, go back to bed."

"Grim found Ronald." Grell sat up instantly, staring up at him. "He sent a message saying he was alright and not to worry too much and to make sure we're getting enough sleep."

Grell smiled. "That's so like him. Did we get anything useful out of it?"

"To ask the Undertaker about Daniel."

He offered Grell a cup of coffee which he took slowly. It was strange. William hadn't seen Daniel in months and he'd been told Eric, Grell and Ronald had killed him. Not that he was disappointed to hear it. He couldn't stand Daniel even when he was working under Michelle's direct orders.

"We killed him."

"Well, it seems not. It's troubling for me, as a reaper, that no one we kill seems to stay dead for particularly long. What's happening to the world when death can be so easily undone? We'll be out of the job soon."

"That's your concern? That we're going to lose our jobs? What about Ronnie?"

"Don't you dare even suggest _anything_ is more important than Ronald's safety. The only reason I'm carrying on working while he's missing is because if we took time off his absence would be noticed by the higher ups. As long as we're working we can cover for him."

"I know, Will," Grell said, sipping his coffee. "I know you want to find him as much as the rest of us. And we'll find him, sooner or later. And at least we know he's ok now. We'll find him." He glanced down at Grim, who still had his face in his food. "Shouldn't you be going?"

Grim growled and glared up at him for a moment before returning to stuffing his face. "He'll go when he's ready, don't worry, Sutcliff. And I'd like to point you're arguing with a cat."

"He's sitting around stuffing his face," he snapped.

"He'll go. He tends to do thing on his own terms," William said. "It's one of the many reasons I don't mind having a cat, he only really needs feeding twice a day and he pretty much looks after himself the rest of the time."

"So, if he knows were Ronnie is, we can send a note back with him, can't we?" William and nodded and Grell reached for his coat, pulling out a little heart shaped note book and red pen. "Can I?" Again, William noted. "We should get Eric and Alan to write one for him too. Keep him here until I can wake get them."

"No, Sutcliff," William said as he ran for the door. "They won't appreciate-" The door slammed and he sighed. "They aren't going to like this."

Still, half an hour later Grell came back with a very tired Alan and Eric trailing behind him. Thankfully, Grell didn't try to talk too seriously to them until William had made them each a cup of coffee. As they sat together, Grim trotted over and sat proudly in front of them, lifting his head so they could get to his collar easily.

"Your cat's finally lost it, William," Eric grumbled into his coffee.

William sighed. "There's nothing wrong with Grim. He's waiting."

"For what? He's obviously already had his food."

"What's going on, William?" Alan said quietly. "Why are we up at... half four? We've got to work a ten hour shift a six and we have to get our own coffee without Ronald..." He sighed and closed his eyes, leaning against Eric's arm. "I hope he's ok."

"He is," Grell said.

Eric jerked up, jolting Alan, who yelped as he struggled not to spill his coffee. "You've found him? You've been looking without us?"

"No, Grim has," William said. "He found Ronald and he sent a message back with him. So, Grell thought you'd want to tie a message to his collar for Ronald when he next finds him."

Grell smiled and picked up Grim petting his head gently. "Who's a good kitty? Hmm, yeah, you're a good kitty finding Ronnie for us."

"Yep," Eric said, scratching behind his ear. "You're smarter than you look. Wonder how you do it..."

Grell grinned and handed out paper from his heart shaped pad for them. There were a few moments of silence while they wrote and Grim settled himself in William's lap, waiting patiently. He sighed and closed his eyes, gently rubbing his head. The idea that Grim could take notes to Ronald so he knew they were thinking about him, and might even be able to take them to him, filled him with new hope. They were going to get to him, before he got turned into one of those hybrids. They had to find him.

Taking the folded notes from the others, he folded them inside his one, rolled them and tied them carefully to Grim's collar once more, hoping that when Grim returned to Ronald he'd still be well enough to read them. Hopefully, their notes would remind him that they were still looking, and perhaps help him hold out longer.

For the next few hours they sat together, quietly discussing where they were going to look after work and how seriously they were considering Eric's plan to capture Ronald and restrain him if there were no other options. None of them particularly wanted to go to work, and William certainly didn't want to be teaching those newborn reapers when he could have been searching for Ronald, but he didn't really have any other options. It was his job. And, as he'd told Grell, any time off could alert the higher ups to Ronald's absence and their situation. He couldn't risk it. Much as it was against regulations, and normally he'd appalled by the idea of being so deceptive, he was willing to do pretty much anything for Ronald. He had a hold over him like no one else ever had. He didn't like being without him anymore, Ronald had become such an integral part of his life. Grell said it was romantic. He supposed he was right but still, he wasn't sure how to react when he said it. Once, Grell had asked him if they were a proper couple, like Eric and Alan. Everyone knew about Eric and Alan. They were obviously so perfect together and it no one ever seemed to question their relationship like they did his and Ronald's. Eric and Alan were like an advert for soul mates. And there was a part of him that hoped and prayed one day they could be like them and that people would accept their relationship as easily as they did theirs but he'd never say it out loud. He knew it frustrated Ronald too but couldn't figure out how to make people realise how serious their relationship was. He kept telling himself it would just take time but he was starting to doubt it.

* * *

><p>Ronald gasped and brought up his knives, clashing with Ian's sword again. Ian smirked and swung for him again. They'd been sparing for about two hours now, an improvement on yesterday given how the night of sleep Ronald had, and only was starting to show signs of tiring again. His fever slowed his reactions enough that they were pretty evenly matched. Ian couldn't help getting excited imagining how strong Ronald would be once his change into a hybrid was complete and his fever abated.<p>

"I'm getting tired," Ronald panted. "Can we stop? I want to go back to bed."

"Who are you?" Ian said.

Ronald growled and pounced forward. Smirking, Ian stepped away, Ronald's knife just catching his cheek. "We are not going through this shit again. I am a very tired, pissed off _reaper_. I am sick and tired and done with fighting and being stuck here. I want to go to bed. I want to go home. I want to sleep and not get up in half an hour. And more than _anything_, I want William and you are standing in my way! So, if you're going to insist on keeping me here as your prisoner and giving me that crap that makes me sick the least you are going to do is let me sleep!"

"Oh?" he said, folding his arms. "Why's that?"

"Because I am your leader, your creator, without me you would be nothing more than another pathetic human waiting for me to reap your soul and end your tragic, uneventful, insignificant life so don't you dare smirk like you're better than me." He shot forwards with impossible speed given him condition, slammed him against the wall, holding him tightly by his collar and driving one of his knives easily between his ribs, and snarled as his eyes glowed a violent pink-red. "So, Ian... Let. Me. _Sleep_."

"As you wish, _sir_." Ronald's eyes returned to their normal green and he dropped him, stumbling back looking confused and appalled with himself. Apparently, his plan was working already and Ronald really was starting to lose who he was. Taking his knives from his gently, a little annoyed by the way Ronald back up, shaking violently, and set them down with his sword. "When would you like to be woken?"

"I didn't... mean... I'm not..."

He shook his head quickly and backed up. "Ronald-"

"Junior Dispatch Officer Ronald Knox," he snarled. "Don't you start treating me like I'm your leader."

"Come. You wanted to sleep. I won't wake you up, sir."

Ronald stepped back and shook his head. "No. No!"

"Ronald-"

"You're bleeding, you should look after yourself."

Ian sighed and the wound healed itself. It wasn't a death scythe, it didn't do much harm. Ronald was tired and his outburst was enough to prove he was slipping, so rewarding him was the best way to reinforce this behaviour. He led Ronald back to bed, despite his arguments, and left him, locking the door firmly behind him. It wouldn't be long. Ronald would be his within days. He'd let him have a little rest before he to wake him up every half hour again. It was basic reinforcement training. As long as he continued fighting to hold onto his old life he'd keep making him suffer through his fever and sparing, but when he gave in and acted as Ian wanted, as a strong, firm, unquestioned leader, then he'd get to relax and be rewarded. He'd learn soon.

Ronald sighed and collapsed into bed. This was too tiring. There was shuffling and a soft purring from under the bed. He frowned and pulled up the blankets. Curled up on his jacket under the bed was Grim, apparently perfectly happy and comfortable sleeping there. He frowned and clicked his fingers. Grim looked up instantly. Within seconds he was scampering out and Ronald lifted him up onto the bed, cuddling him against his chest.

"You delivered my note to William?" Grim seemed to understand and snuggled against him. There was paper tied to his collar. Ronald smiled. "Did he send one back too?"

Once Ronald had freed the papers, Grim curled up happily on his lap, purring happily as under Ronald's hand. There were a few papers there. Three were on heart shaped papers he recognised as Grell's note pad. He unfolded the notes slowly. The first one was from Alan. He could tell just from the neat, plain writing. He smiled. '_I'm glad you're ok, Ronald. We're looking for you as much as we can, we'll find you soon. Hold on. We're going to find you._' It sounded so caring and worried. Just like Alan. He smiled and leant back slowly, resting against the wall. He didn't mean to worry them. He hoped his note eased their fears a little. He didn't want them to start thinking he was dead or injured.

Next in the bunch was Grell's, in that familiar red, scrawling writing and hearts and kisses by his signature. '_I'm looking after Will for you, don't worry, I'll give him back when we find you. Probably. Love you though. Don't stop fighting. I want you to be as ruthless as we taught you to be. We won't be angry if find you in a pool of blood and bodies. I'd be proud of you._' His smile widened. Of course Grell was encouraging him to be violent. William probably didn't know what he'd put. He put his note down and quickly found Eric's note. '_Your cat's insane. A genius but completely insane. Don't try to escape if it's dangerous, I want to find you in one piece. Whoever's got you, I'm going to tear them apart. We'll find you soon I promise._'

His stomach growled suddenly and he frowned. Grim jumped off the bed and disappeared underneath again. Frowning, Ronald hung his head over the side just in time to see Grim vanish through a tiny porthole like a cat flap before returning with a fleece blanket in his teeth. He set it down and curled up in the corner as the porthole closed.

"You can use portholes?" Ronald whispered. Grim opened one eye then curled up tighter. "I wonder if we can use that. Alright, you go to sleep while I find some food." He stood up and banged on the door, raising his voice knowing there were two guards outside. "I'm hungry. I want something to eat! And not like a soul or something, I want actual food!" Well, if the only way to get anything around here was to bark out orders, why not? "Hey, are you even listening?"

"Yes sir."

He sighed and sat back on the bed, waiting impatiently for food. Finally, the door opened and Ian came in with a tray of steaming hot food. He smiled and set it down on the desk in the corner, pulling out the seat for Ronald. He frowned and slowly got up to take his seat. His mouth was watering at the sight of the hot food. It smelt delicious. Ian smiled and stroked his hair tenderly but Ronald snarled and batted him off. It was quiet as he ate, Ian just watching him peacefully. When he was done, Ian rested his hand on his forehead.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine," he snapped, pushing him away. "I'm not in the mood for games."

"Your fever's easing at least," Ian said. "That would be the demonic side of you kicking in to heal you. Are you sure you wouldn't like a soul? Just try one. You'll like it."

"Now," Ronald said firmly. "No way. I'm not having any souls."

"Everyone here has tried one, there are some who've said no more and some who don't care and keep feeding whenever they get hungry."

"That's a sure-fire way to get caught," he said, leaning back and tilting his head slightly. "If you want to say hidden from the majority of reaper, why take that risk?"

Ian smiled. "See, this is why we wanted you. There's knowledge in that cute little head of yours, even if you don't always realise it. What would you suggest instead? How should we find our souls?"

"You shouldn't," he growled. "I'm not helping you feed on souls. Get out." Ian opened his mouth but Ronald glared up at him. "Get out! You said you were going to leave me to it so do it!"

"Yes sir."

Ian nodded solemnly and picked up the tray, taking it out with him and locking the door again. Ronald sighed and closed his eyes. There was a hunger growing him. He wanted to feed but it was absolutely disgusting to think about. He couldn't feed off a soul he was a reaper at heart. He returned quietly to bed and picked up the largest note. From William. Just seeing his beautiful neat writing made him wish he could return home to William, curl up in his arms and essentially attach himself to his arm for the rest of their lives. He smiled and laid back, slowly closing his eyes and curling up with William's note in his hands as if he could somehow bring him closer through the paper.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** Firstly, I'd like to point out, I'm sorry. You'll see why. Also, I like to point out, I didn't really have much input in the plot, I just write the thing. Mina wrote most the plot. What is about to happen is not my fault. Right. Now that's out the way. Poor everyone this chapter. Actually, Ronnie's come off pretty well compared to the others, except Grim. Cats always come out on top. It's all relative, of course. And thank you for all your lovely reviews, please keep them coming.

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><p>"Ian," Ronald growled.<p>

Ian smiled and bowed deeply. The blonde's fever had worn off and he'd finished the last the serum. Just over a week since he'd taken custardy of him and Ronald's mind was completely his. He'd all but cast off his reaper days and had been moulded into a strong, powerful leader. Unfortunately, he had done a little too much of a good job of breaking him down and rebuilding him. Ronald was a natural leader it seemed. He'd just about managed to keep his position as his loyal advisor but he couldn't shake the feeling that Ronald was far smarter and more devious than he was letting on. He was slouched across the modest throne, watching the other hybrids training lazily.

"I'm hungry." Ian smirked. "Bring me something to eat."

"How do you suppose we should go about finding new souls, sir?" Ian said. "Our supplies are running low and we need to make sure we don't alert the other reapers."

"Didn't I tell you?" Ronald said. "Ration your supplies, feed off each other. It'll blow over. After a few months, maybe years of lying low they'll move on and forget about us. We can move onto collecting souls then. Once your supplies run out, ask me again. Now, get me something to eat."

Ian strode away to the kitchens. As he'd moved away from his old life and given into his new brutal, demonic nature, Ronald had grown from a whiny, immature child. He was the type of leader he didn't want to cross anymore. Sometimes, Ian wondered if he was losing sight of his plan the stronger and more in control Ronald became. He needed something to throw him off his game and push him back into his hands. He returned with his food on a tray and offered it to him. Of course, it wasn't long before a pretty, buxom blonde called Mary bounced over and slipped up onto his lap, feeding him. She'd been drooling over him since she first saw him and had been begging to play nurse to him when he brought him in with a fever. It had been all Ian could do to keep her away from him. However, it seemed the serum had made Ronald flirtatious and charming. Perhaps he'd always been like that but Ian couldn't see it.

"Aren't you hungry?" Mary whispered, licking the spoon. "Don't you want a soul? I'd let you feed from me any time you like, sir, my dear Ronald, if it's better than feeding off a human."

"Hmm, I'm sure you'd taste so sweet," Ronald said, twirling her hair around his fingers. "But it's better to wait. Patience is a virtue and the anticipation makes the reward so much sweeter. Soon, Mary, once there's no one thinking about us anymore."

"Sir," Ian said quietly. Mary glared up at him and Ronald smiled. "Ronald, we need to talk."

"About what?" Ronald said.

"In private."

He sighed and everyone left them to talk. Ian shut the door and stood patiently in front of Ronald. The youngster was troublesome. He really did have to get full control over him and make sure he kept it. He was getting too self reliant. He needed to be taken down a peg or two. "I found this in your jacket pocket when I was washing it."

Ronald frowned and took the note he was holding out. It was true. He'd taken Ronald's jacket for washing within the first few days and found the pink heart shaped, red penned note and kept it back for a time like this when he needed to retake control. Ronald frowned. It should have been the push he needed to get him back as putty in his hand. It was probably part of the reason Ronald had finally snapped and left William.

"Not only did he cast you aside, he was having an affair," Ian said. "All the more reason to move against them sooner rather than later, don't you think?"

Ronald clenched his fist around the paper and his eyes flashed red. "I won't act out of anger. That's how mistakes are made. Calm down, Ian, wait patiently and good things will happen."

"If we find them, we'll capture them so you can act on it then."

"I highly doubt you will manage," Ronald laughed. "Now, where's Mary gone. Send her back in."

"Ronald-"

"Out!"

Ian bowed and Ronald kicked back. "If you need to talk, Ronald, I'm here for you. You've become like a son to me."

"Ian, I..." He paused Ian smiled as Ronald clenched his jaw. "He doesn't... why would he..." His fists clenched and Ian tilted his head. "Why would he do that to me?"

"That's why you left them, remember?" Ian said, leaning forwards to look him in the eyes. "That's why I helped you escape them. You're happier now, aren't you? Do you know what? I'll capture him for you, let you throw him in the dungeon and then you can devour his soul." Ronald's eyes flashed and he licked his lips. "I know you're hungry, Ronald. I can see if in your eyes. You want to feed so badly, don't you?

"No," Ronald groaned, holding his head. "No. I'm not going to feed. I'm stronger than that."

There was still that resistance. If he could get Ronald to feed then he'd be one hundred percent his. Feeding would mean finally letting go of his instincts as a reaper once and for all. He would finally give in. He sighed and closed his eyes. Would bringing William to his knees in front of him be the final push he needed to let go of his old self, to finally feed?

"Strength has nothing to do with it, Ronald." The blonde glared up at him. "Is it strong to let him walk over you and not do a thing about it? Is that showing strength? Let him walk all over you and just become a doormat and you'll be a pushover forever. Be strong, Ronald, punish him."

"You're my advisor, not my boss," Ronald snapped. "So, get lost and send Mary back in."

Ian opened the door and beckoned Mary back in. Giggling like a schoolgirl, Mary slipped back up onto his lap, wrapping his arms around Ronald's neck and kissing his cheek. The grin on Ronald's lips was disgusting but at least she was keeping him on their side rather than thinking about the reapers. He stormed out and slammed the doors. The gathered crowd was staring at him.

"The reapers he worked with," he said quietly. "We're going to bring them in and make sure Ronald can make them suffer for what they've done to him. Let's go."

They nodded and followed him out, grabbed their weapons as they went. Mary would keep Ronald entertained for now. If Ronald wasn't going to deal with William and his friends, he'd have to make deal with them himself. He'd take great pleasure in killing William, preferably right in front of Ronald so he could watch him break.

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><p>"Does anyone else find that woman Daniel's working for kind of suspicious?" Alan said.<p>

"I didn't see her," Eric said.

"Neither did I," William said and Grell shook his head. "Was there something you noticed?"

"Other than the fact that she had the latest copy of the rule book," Alan replied. William glanced down at him. "She was wearing the perfume as Michelle."

Grell frowned. "Alan-"

"I recognise it, ok," he snapped. "I spend a lot of time with her when Eric was supposed to be dead. Look, I know this seems crazy, but... demons have been transferring souls for years. We all know about the Phantomhive demons losing his master soul as he was about to feed. And then later, somehow, his soul merged with the memories of that other master through brainwashing. It is possible, isn't it?"

"He'd have to have obtained her soul," William said. "How would that be possible?"

"If they collected her soul in her scythe without realising it, and I doubt it's been sorted," Eric said. "But doesn't the Undertaker have her scythe?"

"He and Michelle and Daniel have been playing their own games for longer than we can imagine," he said. "It's best to just work around them. Whatever they've done, let them do it. We should be thinking about Ronald. And if it hadn't taken the Undertaker a whole damn week to tell us where Daniel was hiding he might have a better chance of being found safe and well."

They nodded and continued on through the woods Daniel had directed them to. If Ronald was there, they had to find him. There was movement behind them and Grell spun around. William frowned and glanced back. Ian smiled and stepped out from the shadows. William growled and he smirked.

"Hello again, Mr Spears," he said quietly. "What are you doing in my neck of the woods?"

"You know why we're here," Eric snapped.

"Yes," he said. "I suppose I do. And I suppose I could take you to him. He does miss you, would you like to see him?"

William glanced at the others, who nodded slightly, before turning back to Ian. "Alright."

"Good answer. Please, don't try to resist." A dozen or so hybrids stepped out from the trees and William growled, raising his scythe with the others, ready to strike the second they cam any closer. "Please, Mr Spears. Didn't I say not to resist? You do want to see Ronald, don't you?"

"Will," Grell said. "We need to see him."

"We've been in worse situations," Eric said. "And survived."

"Like what?" Alan muttered. Grell glared down at him. "Never mind..."

Finally, William sighed and nodded. They didn't really have much choice so they set down their scythes. The hybrids stepped forward and pulled their wrists back behind them, locking them in place with chains and shackles. And, much to William's disgust, the last thing he saw before his glasses were pulled off and he was blindfolded, was Ian smirking triumphantly. They were pulled away and guided through the woods. After perhaps half an hour of walking, they entered what seemed like a hall. Doors opened in front of them and they were pushed into another, colder room, their footsteps echoing quietly above a soft murmur and shrill giggle. Moments later they were pushed to their ground on their knees.

"Food, Ian?" Ian sighed as she giggled again. "Oh, but didn't the boss say not to misbehave? He said no more souls."

"Out," Ian snapped. "Everyone who's not essential get out." There was a pause and quiet footsteps before the doors closed. "You're not essential, Mary."

"Who says?"

"I say. Now get out." She giggled and squealed and Ian sighed. "Sir-"

"Let her stay, Ian. Get their blindfolds off. Let them have their glasses back." William suddenly felt sick to his stomach, even before the blindfold was removed. He knew that voice. They all knew his voice. The world focused again and he lifted his head. "So, I suppose I should welcome you to my lair."

William swallowed heavily, knowing his fears had been proven correct. Sitting on his throne, with the pretty blonde William assumed was Mary slouched across his lap, was Ronald. He smirked down at him. After taking a moment of glancing over him to check for injuries, William's eyes were drawn to the emerald skull pin on Ronald's tie, plainly visible without his jacket to hide it. He knew it, he'd given it to Michelle when they were young as a birthday present.

"Ron," Eric called. "What's going on?"

Ronald smirked and leant against Mary's shoulder. "It's a good question. Ian?"

"Well," Ian said. "After what you said earlier, I thought you might be pleased. You did say you didn't think we could capture them. And you are so hungry, aren't you?" Ronald's eyes flashed red, his gaze flickering over them for a moment before he turned his attention back to Ian. "They _did_ want to see you."

"Why?" Ronald said, locking his gaze on William. "What the hell do I matter to you?"

"You're our friend, Ronnie," Grell cried. "You're like the closest thing we have to family. We love you, idiot."

"Don't you dare talk to Ronald like that," Mary snapped, wrapping her arms around Ronald's neck and kissing his cheek. "You're in no position to be talking so flippantly. You can't talk to him like that, look at you. What are you? You look like a man and act like a woman. What do you-"

"Mary," Ronald said quietly, cupping his chin and tilting her head to face him. "Shh, don't insult our guests, Mary. That's not how a lady acts, is it?" Mary sighed and nodded, leaning against his shoulder and nuzzling against his cheek. "So, you've seen me, I'm fine. I'm managing on my own. I'm not useless anymore. That's what you said, I was too weak to look after myself and I always needed saving. I don't anymore, go home, stop worrying."

"We're not just leaving you, Ronald," William said. "Listen, we can find a way to-"

"To reverse this?" he laughed. He shook his head and closed his eyes. "Don't I get a say in this? I don't to be _cured_. It's not a disease or sickness. We're not something you can cure. You guys just want to find some reason to turn me into a victim so you can save me again. Because I always need saving, don't I? You really can't stand the fact that I'm stronger than you now, that I can stand on my own two feet. But, since you seem to want to play heroes, you can spend a bit of time in the dungeons, can't you?"

"Ronnie! This isn't you, just think about this. We're you're friends," Grell snapped as they were pulled up. The little blonde smirked and waved teasingly as they were dragged from the room. "You little- you wait until I get my hands on you, you traitor!"

Ronald just smirked and waved as the doors were slammed shut. William just walked along quietly, not fighting at all, just numb. Ronald, his Ronald, was leading those hybrids. He'd all but called him useless, and to prove he wasn't he'd ended up as that cold, cruel monster. They were thrown into a cell and Grell growled, kicking the bars. William frowned and sat against the wall. It had only been a fortnight. How had they got such a hold on him so quickly? Was Ronald really so damaged he was that susceptible to their tricks and lies? What he'd said certainly hadn't helped.

"How'd you do that?" Grell snapped.

William glanced up to see Alan with his hands now in front of him, smiling slightly. "It's not hard when you know how. It's just a knack. So... what are we going to do?"

"What can we do?" he said. "He's betrayed us. He's one of them now. Will, what are we supposed to do? He's turned on us, he's betrayed us and locked us up. The longer we're gone the more suspicious higher ups will get and the more likely they are to notice he's gone. We don't have any choice, Will, we have to kill him."

"No," Eric said, sitting back on the bunk. "We're not killing him."

"We don't have a choice anymore," Grell said. "We can't leave him after this? He's obviously a danger. We've got to get out, get our scythes and finish him before he becomes even more of a danger or kills us."

"He's not," he argued. "And even if he is, there's still plan B."

Plan B. Lock him up until they could find a cure... but Ronald said he didn't want to be cured. Was that the truth or the serum talking? William frowned. "Perhaps it's worth considering he'd been brainwashed."

"Do you think he has been?" Eric said, glancing over.

"It's very possible," Alan said. William glanced up and Alan sat in Eric's lap. "People can become fully sympathetic with their captures in seventy-two hours but the symptoms can start in less the twenty-four. It's a matter of punishment or fear and then small acts of kindness. Take Ronald's condition, assuming that it's similar to what he suffered the first time round. With his fever and nightmares and being away from home, it would be easy to give him sedatives or painkillers or just comfort and a night chat and Ronald might start thinking he's not such a bad guy. He'd start listening to his point of view. Lots of case, they make the captive think it's their own fault. 'Look at what you make me do', you know. So when he behaves he gets rewarded and the behaviour becomes ingrained. It's much like domestic abuse really, I suppose. Two weeks is plenty of time and the longer he believes it, or even pretends to get believe it, the harder it becomes to fight. Like when you have an idea, and at first it seems like a bad idea, but you toy with it, and the longer you think about it, the more sense it makes, the harder it is resist."

"Like when I was killing to save you," he muttered. "I started out thinking it was a silly idea, I couldn't kill a thousand people. But then, when I thought about it, I started thinking I could. I shouldn't but I _could_. It wouldn't be so hard. And then Michelle came along and I started thinking I could hide it. It wouldn't be so hard, I could do it. And then the next thing you know, I'm killing dozens of people a week and firmly believing I can kill a thousand. That fact that by some miracle I managed doesn't make it any less of a stupid idea thinking back on it."

"So, it is possible he's been brainwashed and they're manipulating him into thinking what they want him to think?" Grell said. "We can still bring back the old Ronnie?"

"Perhaps, yes," Alan said.

"Alan was right though," William said. "Daniel's new mistress isn't new at all. It's Michelle. What she's up to is beyond me, but it's her."

"What makes you so sure?" Grell snapped. "I'd recognise her."

"The broach on Ronald's tie. You saw it, didn't you?"

"Michelle had one just like it," Eric said.

William nodded. "It's one of a kind. I brought it for her when we were in the academy."

"You saved up for months," Grell muttered. "What's she doing this time? And making us worry like that?"

"You should be more worried about yourself," Ronald said, walking in. He stopped outside the door and leant against the bars, sneering down at them as he held out a heart shaped note. Grell frowned, recognising the paper as well as the rest of them did. Alan got up and took it slowly. "It might go some way to explaining why I'm so tempted to give into that burning hungry and finally feed."

"Grell," Alan said, glaring over. "William... How could you?"

"Sutcliff, what the hell have you done this time?" William snapped.

Alan held out the note to Grell to read. His eyes widened and the colour drained from his face, not easing William's fears. Had Grell been partly responsible for Ronald's change? Grell stared up Ronald and shook his head. "Ronnie, I was joking. I didn't mean it. Is that why you stopped writing back? Ronnie-"

"What is going on?" William said annoyed that he was still being ignored. "What have you done?"

"I- when we were writing back and forth, I said I was going to look after you and he said I had been looking for a chance to look after you forever and I..." He frowned and William glared over. "I'm sorry, Ronnie, I didn't think you'd take it seriously."

"Sutcliff?"

"'_That's alright, we've been together behind your back for years_', that's what he wrote," Ronald said. "Isn't it?"

"Word for word," Grell said. "I'm so sorry. It was a joke, we-" Ronald stepped back and turned away, heading back towards the doors. "Ronnie!"

"How could you be so stupid?" William snarled. "Did you really think that was a sensible idea?"

"Ronald?" Eric said quietly.

William fell silent at Eric's hushed, wary tone, as did Grell, slowly turning to see Ronald had stopped only a few steps away. That wasn't what the problem though. His eyes were glowing softly. He turned slowly, a smug grin plastered across his face that sent chills down his spine.

"I'm so hungry."

"Ronald," William said as he turned. "You have to fight it. If you give in to that hunger then it's all over. There's nothing else we can do for you if you feed off a soul."

"But I'm _sooo_ hungry," he laughed. "Guards!" They stepped in and ran to Ronald's side. "I'm starving. I want him."

"Yes, sir."

They opened the door to the cell and pulled William up, dragging him out into the hallway. The door slammed and locked, leaving the other three behind calling after him. Ian was waiting in the doorway, frowning as Ronald walked passed and quickly caught up, walking at his side.

"What's going on, Ronald?"

Ronald grinned up at him. "I thought I'd take your advice for once, Ian."

William frowned slightly as they were pulled into a rather empty, large room. There was a soft looking bed and a desk on the far side and that was about it. The chair was pulled around and they pushed him down into it. He sat quietly, watching Ronald's glimmering pink-red eyes. If there was any hope of getting through to him and breaking the hold the hybrids had over him he had to get Ronald alone. This was his best option. He couldn't see any other way this would work. Ronald dismissed the guards and Ian glared over.

"You know," Ian said quietly. "I could just deal with him for you, Ronald."

"Wasn't it _you_ encouraging me to feed, Ian?" Ronald said, sauntering over and leaning over William with a small smirk that, much to William's embarrassment and horror, was unbelievably sexy. "On him no less? Why take away my fun now you're getting your way?"

"I just thought it would be easier for you perhaps to feed on someone else first," he said. "I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."

"I'm not uncomfortable," he said, slipping up to sit astride William's lap, resting his arms on his shoulders. "Are you uncomfortable, William?"

William stared up at him, his lips parted slightly. It would be so easy to lift his head and kiss him but those glimmering eyes reminded him of what Ronald was and what he was threatening to do.

"I'd be more comfortable if unchained my wrists," he said matter-of-factly.

Smiling fondly, Ronald ran his fingers along his jaw, tilting his head up slightly. "My William. Hmm, boss, any last requests?"

"If you're going to go through with this," William said slowly. "If you really are going to feed off my soul and end my life, then get rid of him. It should be just the two of us."

"You do have some of the best idea." He turned and glared at Ian. "Get out."

"Ronald-"

"Get out," Ronald yelled, before settling down and smiling softly. "I want to have my fun with my William before I feed. Go on, I'll be ok."

Ian sighed and bowed before turning and shutting the door. William gazed up at Ronald for a few long, awkward moments, not entirely sure what Ronald intended to do now. He seemed to want more than just to feed. Perhaps that was the opening he needed to get him free from Ian.

"You know, Sutcliff was joking," he said. "We weren't having an affair, I swear. What I said when we were at the Undertaker's, I didn't mean it. No... I did mean it." Ronald frowned and his eyes darkened. "I want to protect you, Ronald, I do and I keep failing, but after losing Michelle I just got a bit overprotective I suppose. I'm sorry."

"That's sweet," Ronald said, leaning over him again. "But I am so hungry, William, it won't save you. Still, don't you want one last kiss?"

"Ronald, you don't... have to do this..."

Ronald's eyes darkened to a violent, bloody red and William couldn't help staring up at him, at those unnatural, glimmering eyes. Still, they were beautiful. Those gorgeous big, catlike eyes that had always been so enchanting, glinting in the fading light as he pressed their lips together in a fleeting, gentle kiss. And it hit home in that moment what Ronald was going to do. Ronald was going to kill him. He was going to feed on his soul, ending his _life_. He was going to _die_.

Their lips parted slowly and Ronald smiled. "Don't struggle. It'll only take a moment."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N:** Ok, everyone step back and take a few deep breaths. I know last chapter was difficult but we got through it together. No, I didn't get the email comfirming last chapter was up until half an hour ago either, or any of your reviews. At least it wasn't just me. Anyway, because I couldn't leave you on that cliff hanger, here's how that ended. And someone will die. Who? Who knows? Would I honestly be cruel enough to let Ronald kill William? Well, it doesn't matter, I didn't write the plot. Are we all suitably worried? Good. Thank you for all your reviews, please keep them coming.

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><p>"Ronald," William said quietly. "Wait." Ronald frowned but sat back slightly, glaring at him impatiently. "Wait, just hear me out."<p>

Ronald sighed and tilted his head. "Whatever, but make it quick, I'm starving. I don't want to wait much longer."

William swallowed heavily, his mind racing. He hadn't thought this far. He was just trying to buy some more time and perhaps figure out how to change Ronald's mind. What he was going to say next hadn't been high on his list of priorities since he hadn't really expected to get this far. There had to be something though. There had to be something he could say to get Ronald to listen to him. His heart was pounding and Ronald shifted impatiently. He couldn't wait any longer or he'd get bored and actually finish him off.

"You didn't want him here either, did you?" he said finally. "That hardly counts as a last request. After everything we've been through, don't I deserve a little more?"

"I suppose," Ronald said slowly.

"You did say you wanted to have fun before you fed," William continued. "Doesn't that sound like a good idea? If you're honestly going to do this we'll never have another chance. I'd like to go out on a high, Ronald. I know you want it too."

Ronald slid off his lap and William frowned. What was he thinking? He'd give anything to know what was going through his mind. He needed to find a way through to him. He needed to find something to reach him, to bring back the sweet child he knew, who he had struggled to help through his pain and suffering. And Ronald always buried his pain and tried to forget it in physical affection, he could only hope this was the same. If Ronald was even buying this.

"No," Ronald said quietly. William sighed and opened his mouth to argue but Ronald glared over. "You're trying to squirm your way out of your fate." He turned back to him and caught his chin. "You don't want to touch me and you don't want me touching you either. I really do disgust you, don't I? I'm some demon hybrid. You want nothing to do with m except to slaughter me."

"No. Ronald-"

"Do you think I'm stupid? What am I saying? Of course you do." He laughed bitterly and turned away. "You think I'm a stupid brat who needs saving, we know that. But I know that management won't let me live. You're under orders to kill me, just like the rest of them. And the job comes first."

"No, Ronald," William argued. "Listen to me. We're not going to kill you unless there's no other choice. We will do everything we can before we even consider it. I won't abandon you, not for anything. You're not just some demon hybrid. You've been fighting that hunger, I know you have. Let me go, we can help you, protect you from the higher ups until we can figure something out."

"You're all about saving me, aren't you?"

"Then..." He paused and frowned. It was a risky move but it should have been worth it. "Then find some serum." Ronald's eyes widened. "I want to be with you, Ronald. I want to stay with you. If that would help you realise I'm being honest about that and that I only want you to be happy, then go ahead. Do what you want with me, Ronald, as long as you're sure it's going to make you happy."

Ronald watched him warily for a moment. It seemed to be sinking in and making him think. That was what he wanted. He needed to think and understand how honest he was being. Sooner or later, he had to figure it out, that he was honest and willing to help him in any way he wanted. Finally, he leant over and unchained William's wrists. William offered him a small smile and reached out, taking his hands, lifting them to his lips and kissing them gently. There had to be some way to save him from this, to cure him somehow and bring back the boisterous, playful young reaper he'd fallen so madly in love with. He stood slowly, cupped Ronald's cheeks and tipped his head up to bring their together in a soft, gentle kiss as the stumbled back to the bed.

"If you dare to double cross me, William-"

"I won't," William said gently. "You know I won't. I just want to keep you safe and happy and I'll do whatever that takes."

They fell back onto the bed and there was noise outside. "Sir? Are you ok? There's a lot of noise."

"I'm fine," Ronald called. "I'm going to have some fun before I feed. I'll yell for you if I need anything."

"Yes sir."

"So you... you'd really be willing to take the serum just to be with me?" he whispered. William nodded slightly, leaning down over the blonde, trailing soft kisses across his jaw. "Why?"

"Because you are the most important thing in the world to me," William said, running his hand lovingly through his hair. "You are my world, Ronald. I know how you can be, I know who you are without the influence of the hybrids. You know it's the truth. I'd do anything for you." Ronald blushed slightly and his eyes softened to their familiar, comforting golden green. "Would I have to call you sir, or would you still be my Puppy?"

Ronald laughed softly and leant up to capture his lips, drawing him closer over him so their bodies were pressed together. "I suppose I could make an exception for you, boss."

"I'm glad." He brushed his lips over Ronald's for a moment before picking up the shackles. "Shall we put these to good use, darling?"

"You'll leave me chained up," Ronald said. "You'll have your way with me and then leave me chained up while you run off."

"Of course not," William said.

He caught Ronald's mouth with his, and, as always, Ronald moaned softly as their tongues met and he gently pushed the blonde's wrists up above his head, looping the shackles through the spindles of the bed head and looking them into place around his wrists. Much as he would have loved to carry on with these games, he really did have to get on with more serious issues. Ronald might have meant the world to him but it was more important to get the others out. Ronald was in no danger here. He unfastened the pin from Ronald's tie and slid it off. Sitting back slightly, he knotted the tie and was pleased when Ronald accepted it as a gag willingly, letting him tie it behind his head. Ronald gave a soft moan as William kissed his neck, running his hand over Ronald's side to make him twist and arch up against him. William slipped his hands slowly beneath his back and trailed his fingers along his spine to his belt.

"Unfortunately," he said with a sigh, kissing Ronald's cheek gently. "I don't have time to even have my way with you before I leave you chained up." He pulled Ronald's pair of scythes from his belt and got up, leaving Ronald staring up at him as he pulled his glasses off and set them on the side. "As much as I know this means the next time we meet like this you won't allow me any last chances before you feed, I'm afraid this is one of those times I have to hurt you and leave you behind to have any hope of saving you." Ronald struggled to sit up, the reinforced chains keeping him twisted awkwardly to one side as he struggled against them. He stepped around the bed and gently wrapped his arms around Ronald from behind and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to his cheek. "I'm sorry, darling. I'll save you, somehow, I promise. I'll be back for you once I've let the others out. Hopefully."

Ronald swung around with surprising ease and grace and William barely managed to step back in time to avoid taking a nasty kick to the stomach. He growled savagely, eyes flashing red again, and William sighed, giving him a final longing glance before turning away to the door and pulling it open. The pair of guards spun and William had dispatched of them within moments. He shut the door behind him and strode down the halls to find their death scythes and the others.

* * *

><p>"But what if he has actually fed off him?" Grell said, pacing back and forth. Alan sighed and closed his eyes. He was lying across Eric's lap, watching quietly. "If this was some sort of plan, he should have been back by now. What if he has fed on him? If he's brainwashed into thinking he's one of these hybrids, what if he has-"<p>

"Calm down, Grell," Alan said gently. Grell turned and glared at him. "He'll be fine. Brainwashed or not, I don't think Ronald _can_ hurt William."

"It goes against every instinct he has," Eric said. "Besides, I would think if William honestly thought Ronald was going to hurt him, he'd fight back."

"If he's tried to hurt Will I'm going to lock him up and make sure he pays," Grell snarled. "You can keep him safe and try to save him but I'll hurt him if he dares to hurt Will. We need to get out of here."

"Give it time," he said. "It's not been long. Just wait and see for now."

Sighing, Grell sat and watched the doors to the dungeons. He wanted to be protective of Ronald but if he hurt William they had no choice. They'd have to finish him off. He didn't mind losing a few humans, then he'd be all for Eric's _Plan B_, but not if he actually hurt one of their own. Just like how they'd gone after Eric when they had to. They'd not wanted to kill him, even knowing that, if it hadn't been for the Midnight Branch intervening, he probably would have been put to death. They'd wanted to be the ones to bring him in and maybe figure out a way to help him rather than see security forces come in, guns blazing and not even give him a chance. He wanted to give Ronald the same chance. He only prayed he was just brainwashed rather than having actually snapped.

"What if he's not brainwashed?" he muttered. "What if it's real?"

"Don't say things like that," Eric snapped. "He'd never do this to us willingly. They've got him sick and made him believe he was some sort of brutal warlord. It's not him it's what they've turned him into."

"I'm glad we're all agreed on that," William said, stepping in the door. They got up quickly and ran to the door. William unlocked the door, quickly followed by their shackles. "Ronald isn't lost yet. I'm managed to restrain him in his room, our scythes are a few doors down and I've already dealt with six of the hybrids. Let's hurry before they discover we've escaped. They're not very strong, but they are fast and like to evade attacks and strike fast more than get into a full on fight. They're hardly a problem if you surprise them and they're in small groups. We need to get our scythes, get Ronald if there's time, and get out."

"Right, let's do it," Grell said. "And take down as many of those things as we can while we go." William nodded and turned out into the hallway to get their scythes. "What happened between you and Ronald?"

William frowned and stuck Ronald's knives in the doorframe. "We were alone. I wasn't sure whether he was going to feed or not. He seemed to want to but allowed me to keep stalling. Either that or he the serum has made him vicious but dumb because he let me keep stalling until I got him chained up. I think he must still subconsciously know this isn't him and he's trying to fight. We can still reach him, I'm sure. However, I don't think he's exaggerating when he says he's starving. He's really struggling not to feed."

"Come on then, let's find him before things get worse," Eric said.

* * *

><p>Ronald was growling like a rabid dog and glaring bloody murder but Ian couldn't hide his amusement at finding the little blonde chained, gagged and absolutely furious. Well, that ought to teach him for not listening to him about William. He smirked and strode over to slowly loosening the tie that had been shoved in his mouth but paused. While he had the youth here there was no harm in enlightening him about his mistakes. Ronald yelled something, probably insulting, through the gag and Ian sighed.<p>

"Now, Ronald," he said, folding his arms. "Didn't I tell you that he was going to be trouble? I didn't want to leave you on your own with him, but you did insist, didn't you? Just couldn't take my advice, could you?" The little blonde was fuming by now, snapping at him through the gag. "Now now, Ronald, calm down. But this really should teach you a lesson about not trusting those reapers. They will do anything to save their skin. They don't want to help you, just save themselves. It's a life lesson."

He swung over and Ian gasped as Ronald landed a viscous kick between his legs. Doubling over as tears welled in his eyes, he was sure Ronald was smirking. The blonde was annoyingly agile and adaptable. Nothing seemed to stop him fighting for long. When he finally got his senses back, Ian got up and grabbed a handful of golden blonde hair, jerking his head back sharply.

"You little brat," he snarled. "You stupid, ungrateful little brat! It's your own damn fault you're in this position. You _disgusting_ creature, if you hadn't trusted that _lover_ of yours you'd have fed by now. You really do repulse me. How can anyone lie with another man? It's just more proof reaper have no moral standards and need to be wiped out. I'm done pandering to such a filthy, immoral beast."

He stopped suddenly as Ronald whimpered. It was so unexpected he realised him without thinking and the second he did, Ronald turned away, curling up against the wall, eyes wide and shimmering with tears. His stomach churned as his paternal instincts nagged at him to do something. Ronald was only a child really, wasn't he? Even in human terms he was only just older than twenty. He was still young and they did like to fit in at that age. He was probably struggling to adjust and needed to learn from mistakes he made. Ian sighed and gently untied the gag, wrapping his arms gently around him. It was hardly his fault anyway. Having met William a few more times, he understood better now. His opinions of the pair had changed ever so slightly. Ronald wasn't just doing it for a cosy life because he didn't know better. Yes, obviously he was naive and childish and didn't really understand that William was clearly taking advantage of him but he'd realised Ronald was doing this all because he was so eager to please. He wanted nothing more that to make William happy and would do whatever it took to keep him happy. Of course, that probably included not questioning when William suggested something like chains and gags. The poor boy probably had no clue what trouble he was in. That was why Ian needed to protect him and advise him, not just for the control and power.

"It's alright," he said quietly. "You made a mistake. We all make mistakes." He sighed and stroked his hair. "You're still young, you've got time to make mistakes still, just learn from them." Ronald nodded weakly and gently undid the chains around his wrists. "No more letting him take advantage of you, Ronald. You need to start living morally. William is bad for you. Reapers might be alright with it but we need to cut it out. We are not supposed to be with men."

"But-"

"No, that's enough of those silly thoughts," he said firmly, like he would to his son. "Now, much as I don't like Mary, she is better for you than him." Ronald lowered his eyes pathetically and he sighed. "Next time you see him, we're going to capture him, and I'm going to help you feed off him, like a father should."

"Father?" Ronald whispered.

"Yes. It might have been your blood used to create us, but I turned you into one of us," he said. "I'm going to look after you now. So, no more lustful thoughts about your ex-boss. It can't keep you happy."

"How do you know?"

"What?"

"How do you know? You haven't tried, have you?" He knelt up at smile. "You shouldn't knock it 'til you've tried it."

"Ronald..."

He trailed off as Ronald leant up and brushed his lips over his. Heat rushed to his face and Ronald offered him a dazzling, reassuring smile, reaching up around his shoulders and pressing their lips together once more, slightly firmer this time, his fingers gently kneading his shoulders. It was surprisingly... nice... Suddenly realising what he was thinking, Ian jerked back.

"That is enough," he said. "I mean it. Now, I know that realising how little he cares for you isn't easy but you aren't going to be using me as a replacement, understand me?" Ronald nodded slowly, his gaze flickering to a gaze us behind him. Ian frowned but carried on. "Now, we need to hurry before they esca-"

"That won't be necessary," Daniel purred, twisting the knife in his back. "You've out lived your usefulness I'm afraid."

Ronald smirked and got up. "Did I forget to mention I've known from the start you were trying to use me? Whoops, my bad. I don't like being manipulated, Ian. You thought I'd be a good little puppet and do whatever you wanted. You'd have all the power but with a pretty little figure head? Here's a valuable piece of advice; I am smarter than you can ever hope to be and I won't be pushed around by a pathetic little human who thinks suddenly having immortality makes him a match for true immortals. It doesn't. It just means that it'll be longer before death comes for you."

Ian stared up at him, suddenly noticing the shroud of living shadows around Ronald and the blood splattered over him, dripping from his eyes, his eyes glowing an eerie gold behind his glasses. His eyes widened in horror. This was where the human image of _The_ Grim Reaper came from. The shadows seemed to form a hooded cloak and Ronald took his pair of knives from Daniel. Ian struggled to crawl away, realising he was going to die. This was what people always said they saw. He was going to die. Ronald smirked and stood over him.

* * *

><p>"Ronald?" Mary called, bursting in the door. "Sir."<p>

Ronald sighed as he stood up from Ian's body. "He's dead. Another victim of the reapers." Mary gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "Gather everyone who's left. We're evacuating to the beta site. I'll meet you there."

"Yes sir."

She ran from the room and Ronald slid his knives back into their sheaths, glancing at Daniel in the shadows, who was smirking triumphantly. Ronald smiled, taking a new tie from his draw, did it up slowly and fastened the skull shaped pin in place once more. His smile grew slowly until he couldn't help laughing. Daniel patted his head as he turned to the door.

"They're making it easy for you," he said.

Ronald grinned. "It's very much appreciated but I doubt it will be so easy forever."


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N:** Trouble ahead. Lucy, Daniel, Julian, the lady and Grim, all in the chapter, along with our usual troublesome bunch. No Undertaker, interestingly enough. Next chapter, guys. Next chapter there will be awesome, crazy Undertakerness (which is now a word, because I say so). So, without further ado, please, keep your reviews coming, and thank you all.

* * *

><p>"They're gone," Eric said quietly. "All of them, even Ronald."<p>

Grell sighed as William turned away and strode off. They'd lost him again. William was going to be furious for days. Eric opened up a porthole and they stepped through into William's apartment only to find Lucy waiting for them. They stopped dead as the porthole closed and Lucy folded her arms. She was a tall, imposing blonde and head of the reaper version of the police, Internal Maintenance, and lived in the apartment directly above.

"Good evening all," she said. "Where, might I ask, have all you been?"

"Nowhere," Eric said.

"Slingby, your history with the Midnight Branch gives you very little credit with me," Lucy said. "I know what they do there, you're _trained_ to lie and keep secrets. I would trust almost nothing you say. Now, where were you? I want the details."

"Off the record?" William said.

"That depends what you have to tell me."

He frowned and sat across from her, the others sitting with them, except for Eric, who went to get make some coffee. Grell wasn't sure why William seemed willing to tell Lucy, she could easily turn them all in and give the order to kill Ronald on sight but they'd trusted William this far, he'd never got them into a situation they couldn't deal with before. They trusted him.

"There's a group of engineered hybrids," William said. "A mixture of demon, reaper and human." Lucy frowned. "It seems some, if not all of them, feel they're owned some kind of retribution for even being created, like we're all to blame. From what we can gather, demons used a human's research and created them as a weapon to use against us. They firmly believe that we're going to simply wipe them out."

"Well, our doctors would definitely want to at least have a look at them," Lucy said. "But given if they're a danger then we can't let them continue. I can't believe you wouldn't tell anyone about this, William. There must be more to this than you-" She stopped suddenly and glanced around. They all knew she'd figured it out. "Where's Ronald?"

William sighed. "He was taken captive a fortnight ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that. So, I assume you've been searching for him. That's why you've kept the hybrids existence secret? To keep us from sending out teams to find him. Do you honestly think my teams are so trigger that they'd go in guns blazing and slaughter every living thing, even Ronald?" William glanced over at Eric and Grell. Grell frowned. It wasn't unheard of. "Has there been any news?"

There was silence as they glance between themselves. Grell glanced at William who was petting Grim in his lap. Of course there was silence. How were they supposed to tell her Ronald was one of them? That'd be like giving up and admitting there was no hope of saving him.

"He's been... conditioned-"

"Brainwashed," Grell said quickly.

Manipulated and conditioned made it sound like he was still himself, brainwashed sounded more unwilling. William glanced over at him and he smiled weakly. "They've used tricks and lies and torture to make him believe he's one of them, acting as their leader as if he can tell them all the secrets reapers have. He's not completely gone though. Even if it's just subconscious and something in the back of his mind, he remembers us and doesn't want to hurt us. I think we can still reach him."

"Well, if it's simply a case of mind control, we can easily help him through." She stood and smiled. "I'll talk to the other heads and see what they think the best course of action is. Unless there's anything more you can tell me?" There was a heavy silence. "William?"

"They've turned him into one of them," Eric grumbled. "He was going to feed off William."

Lucy sighed heavily and shook her head. "Honestly? If he's devoured a soul we'll have to kill him, you know that. Especially not a reaper's soul. A human could be forgiven if he's been brainwashed but not a reaper."

"He hasn't," William said. "And I think he was fighting not to the entire time. He's fighting it, but he's starving. The longer he's with them the harder it'll be to keep from feeding."

"You have a week, William," she said quietly. "That's all I can give you to find him and bring him in yourselves before I have to inform the heads and send out teams. They will be under others to bring in any one they can alive, especially Ronald, but they are allowed to act in self defence. If Ronald because a danger or start stealing soul, one of us or not, we will have to take action. You have a week, and don't let it interfere with your work."

"Thank you, Miss Rose," he said.

"It's nothing," Lucy muttered, turning to the door and striding out. "For some strange reason I miss the noise."

"We should be going too," Eric said, handing William and Grell a cup of coffee each. "Alan's exhausted. We should get to bed and start the search afresh tomorrow."

William nodded and Eric pulled Alan out gently. "You don't have to stay here, Sutcliff."

Yes he did. William was suffering and it was his stupid, joking comment to Ronald that had been at least partly responsible for him losing Ronald. Something of the shy, timid boy he'd known in the academy was coming out. Grell had never thought he'd see that side of him again, or ever see him so absolutely love struck. He smiled slowly. Ronald had a hold on William's heart he'd only ever seen matched with Eric and Alan. He wanted Ronald to be ok and to bring him home, but he'd rather kill the little blonde himself than watch William continue to suffer. Even if William didn't appreciate it, or even see it half the time, he considered William one of his best friends. He couldn't stand seeing him suffering like this.

"I'll stay," he said.

William nodded and picked up his coffee and a book from the table before turning and heading to the bedroom. "Good night then. Feel free to have the spare room."

"Are you sure you don't want me to join you, Will?" he called.

William glanced over his shoulder and shook his head, shutting the door behind him. Of course, Grell pretended he hadn't seen, but that was one of Ronald's copies of Alice in Wonderland. William had his own copy, but it was Ronald's favourite book, he had several. William hadn't taken it just to read, he was sure. Grim yowled loudly at the bedroom door and it opened just enough to let him into before shutting again. Grell sighed and took his coffee back into the spare bedroom after checking the front door was locked.

"Grell." Grell's eyes snapped open and he was staring up at Ronald. He tried to sit up and yell for William but Ronald grabbed his wrists and clamped a hand over his mouth. "Grell, please, shh. I don't want to fight, I need your help."

He moved back and sat back slowly. Grell snarled and pounced, summoning his scythe and pinning Ronald to the ground, pressing the blade to his throat. "Don't move."

"Alright, alright," Ronald said quietly. "I told you, I don't want to fight."

"Get up, we're going to Will," Grell snapped pulling him to his feet.

"_No_. Please, Grell, no," he hissed. "He can't know about this. He can't know I was here or talking to you. I just need you to listen to me."

"Why?"

"Because you need to know what's coming," Ronald said quietly. "Why the demons used the research to create the hybrids and why they mixed in the demonic side of it."

"Ronald?"

"Please, this is serious. This is _huge_ but you can't tell them. You have to help them figure it out without mentioning I've told you. If they know I've told you, I'm in serious trouble."

"You're starting to sound like Eric and all his Midnight Branch secrets."

"Just listen."

* * *

><p>William eyes opened slowly to darkness. It was almost silent but something felt wrong. Pushing it away as just Ronald's absence from their bed, he rolled over and closed his eyes again, feeling Grim bounce up onto the bed, start to come over and trip and tumble over himself. A few moments later, he padded over and slipped into William's arms. He smiled slightly and Grim purred happily. There was movement and footsteps, but he just assumed it was Grell sneaking in. The bed shifted and there was that familiar citrusy smell mixed with white chocolate. That wasn't right. He'd grown used to how Ronald smelled. Always of that citrus shampoo and of the white chocolates he loved so much, although any chocolate seemed to do him. There was a gentle kiss on his cheek and a soft sigh.<p>

"I'm so sorry it has to be like this," Ronald whispered, obviously thinking he was still asleep. "It's the way it has to be though." He sighed and took a deep breath. "God, I wish you knew how delicious you smell. You're utterly mouth watering. You have no idea how much I wanted to feed off you. If I could just..." He sighed again and leant over to peck his lips. "I'm sorry."

The bed shifted and he opened his eyes just in time to catch Ronald disappearing out the door. He got up and ran after him, hoping to get some sense out of him before he lost him again.

"Ronald, wait." Ronald paused at the front door, gazing back at him sadly. He stepped forwards carefully but Ronald turned away. "Ronald, wait, please." This time Ronald didn't stop but bolted out the door. "Sutcliff!"

He pulled open the door and stared out into the empty hallway. Ronald was already gone... Finally, Grell joined him. He was gone again. He'd lost him again. He should have got up sooner and caught him before he left. Grell was sitting on the couch again, leaning on his knees locking pale. The way Ronald had spoken to him, it was ravenous but apologetic at the same time. He was slipping into his demonic nature more and more. They were going to lose him if they didn't get him away from them soon

"We need to speak with the Daniel and his mistress before work," Grell whispered.

"What?" William said. "What's happened?"

"We need to talk to them," he said. "We're losing him more and more every second he's away from us, Will."

William sighed and nodded. He knew it was the truth. There was a horrid feeling in the pit of his stomach that if they couldn't save Ronald within the week Lucy had given them they wouldn't be any hope. He returned to be to find Grim lying on Ronald's pillow. His heart wrenched as he realised he might never have Ronald in his bed again. He might actually lose him forever. He couldn't lose Ronald. He _couldn't_. Ronald was the most amazing, perfect thing in his life. That had ever happened to him. He wouldn't let go. No matter what happened, he wasn't ever going to give up hope of saving Ronald. He had to hold on.

When Grell had asked if he and Ronald were a proper couple, who could spend the rest of their lives together no matter how long that was, William hadn't known. He hadn't thought about it. He'd liked to think they could last forever. He'd promised Ronald forever once, in their early days, but he hadn't really meant it. He hadn't thought it would really be forever, but he knew he loved Ronald and would spend all the time in world with him until they fell out of love, just like it was with every other relationship he'd had. It was just a matter of time.

Now William knew though. For the first time in his life he almost felt a physical _pain_ at not having Ronald in his life. He fell back into bed and closed his eyes as Grim laid half on his chest. He _knew_ he wanted to be with Ronald forever only now he couldn't tell him because his own stupid desire to protect him from everything had pushed him away. He might never get a chance to tell him.

That thought absolutely tore at his heart. Grim meowed and William opened one eye, glancing down at him. His eyes were wide and sad and William smiled, scratching his ear. "Don't worry, we'll find him. He'll be home before you know it."

He hoped.

* * *

><p>"It hurts, doesn't it?" Daniel said quietly. Ronald shivered slightly. "The hunger. You're so hungry it hurts." Ronald said quietly. "Starving. Aren't you?<p>

"Yes," Ronald whispered. "I went home. I watched him sleeping." He frowned and clenched his fists against the sheets. "Do all reapers smell like that?"

"Tempting?" Ronald nodded. "To an extent. It comes down to personal taste, I suppose, but in the end good food is good food. Mr Spears has always smelt like a delicious meal. Of course, many reapers do. I suppose it must be something to do with how you're created. You haven't fed yet, have you?"

"No." Ronald closed his eyes and Daniel smirked, sitting on the bed and watching the blonde. "I wanted to. It's terrifying, Daniel, that hunger. I wanted to feed off him. He was just lying there sleeping and I wanted to feed off him so badly. I'm starving, and nothing I physically eat seems to ease that hunger at all, but the idea of feeding off a soul terrifies me."

Daniel nodded. Many new demons had this issue. He smiled slowly. "I haven't fed since my dear lady Michelle returned to work. For decades she'd given me easy souls, she and I had been the perfect pair. It didn't seem right without her."

"How do you fight it?" He sounded so utterly dejected and pitiful Daniel couldn't help smiling. "I don't want to become like that."

"Of course not," Daniel said. "So hold onto what matters. Hang onto your beliefs and remember that if you feed Mr Spears will never touch you again. He will drive a blade through your heart and cut your record. However, if you stay strong, you will be praised for being so strong. You will remain with him." Ronald nodded. "Now, you should return to your people and make sure there's no trouble. I wouldn't suggest returning home to the reapers again. That would cause trouble."

Ronald nodded and got up, following Daniel down the stairs. The lady was watching them from behind her glasses, the light bouncing off to turn the glass white. "Out the back door, little one. He's here, Daniel."

Again, Ronald nodded and turned, bolting out the back door as the lady turned and returned to her room. Daniel opened the doors wide and Julian smiled up at him. Without a word, he turned away and strode into the sitting room where there was still a fire crackling away and they sat across a table. The younger, smaller demon smiled, playing with his hair and leaning on his palm as the elder leant back and slipped off his coat.

"I was under the impression you were dead, Daniel, I was surprised when Lucifer mentioned you were still very much alive and contracted," Julian said. "Lucky escape I suppose. I should offer my condolences. It's a terrible shame about Michelle."

"She was a reaper," Daniel said calmly. No, she was _his_ reaper. "However, there are more important things to deal with."

"Ah, I suppose," he said with a sigh. "Where's Ian? I need to report back on how his little hybrids are doing against the reapers."

"Didn't you hear? Ian is dead," he replied, smirking slightly and Julian's gaze shot up. "The idiot managed to capture Knox and turn him into a hybrid. Of course, his companions came in after him and Ian was killed. Knox is now leading them and he seems to want to placate things. If you want to carry on, make Ronald an offer."

"I'll talk to Lucifer about it. He won't like this."

"He's a grumpy bastard, he doesn't like much. And I hardly see what this plan is going to do? There are far more reapers than demons to begin with."

"Just go with it. He hasn't let us down yet."

Daniel sighed and shook his head. "Alright. If you say so, I'll look into Knox. What about your new contract? Amusing?"

"Very," Daniel said. "She wished to be strong. She wanted to have power and be able to do what she liked without people controlling her and now she has her wish."

"I would suppose having such a powerful demon on side would do that," Julian said, getting up slowly. "I suppose there's no point me remaining here then. I'll talk to you when there's news."

Daniel nodded and led him back to the doors, locking them securely behind him before climbing the stairs to the lady's room. He smiled and knocked quietly on the door. She called quietly for him to enter and he pushed the door open slowly, closing it quietly behind him and turning slowly. She was sitting at her mirror, brushing through her hair over her shoulder in only her underwear. Daniel walked over, his smile growing slightly as he took the brush from her and brushing through her hair for her. Smiling as she set down her glasses, the lady leant forwards to make it easier for him.

"My lady," he murmured.

"Daniel."

"You never told me what you want me to call you," Daniel said. "You're my lady, most people call you the lady, what do I call you?"

She giggled and turned, kneeling up on the stool so she could gaze into his eyes, cupping his cheeks with a soft smile. "My dear, sweet, loyal Daniel. You've never failed me, Daniel, you've always played with me. I can't rely on anyone like I do you. My demon." She leant in, gently caressing his lips with her own. "I'm the same as I always am. Even stuck in this body, I'm your reaper, always."

Daniel smiled gently and slipped his arms around her slim, young body. He had never cared for her looks or her body. It didn't matter. What he wanted what he'd always wanted. The devious, near malicious, mind that had been fascinating him for decades. The mind that was in the business of bringing a demonic legend to his knees. If she succeeded, all his faith in her would be rewarded and his affection and fondness for her. He leant in and captured her lips hungrily, pulling her forwards roughly to press their bodies together. She giggled and shoved him away, catching his tie and pulling him to the bed. No matter what she did, she would accept nothing but complete and utter submission, something Daniel would happily give as long as she rewarded his trust. Well, his contractor had wanted to be stronger. As far as he could see there was no one stronger than his reaper. And it was preferable to letting her die.

"Daniel," she purred. "What are you thinking, darling?"

"About you, Michelle," Daniel said. "Only ever you."


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:** Oh yes. For your reading pleasure, my darlings, William vs the Undertaker! Dum dum dummmm. I've had too much caffiene today, can you tell? Anyway, yes, this chapter is the last we'll see of Ronnie for a while, so say goodbye and, yes, the Undertaker and Will get in a bit of a scuffle. As do Grell and Shelly. Oh, and Peter and Mark are back. Did you think I'd forgotten about them? Oh no, they're back being ridiculously cute. Because no one should be left out. Spread the love. Yes. And thank you for your reviews, please keep them coming.

* * *

><p>"Ronald?" Mary said quietly. Ronald opened one eye and she smiled quickly, sitting at his side in the early morning sun. "What about the reapers?"<p>

"What about them?" Ronald replied, closing his eyes again.

"Well, they kill fifteen of us," she said. "Aren't we going to do something? Shouldn't we strike back before they come for the rest of us?"

"Reapers aren't a malicious race, Mary. They won't bother us if we don't bother them. Just lie low and relax but keep training. They'll leave us alone if we don't cause trouble."

"I hope you're right."

"He's not," Julian said. Ronald smirked but didn't move as Mary stared up at the demon. "They will hunt you down and slaughter the lot of you, all to get Knox back. And when they realise he can't be changed back they'll kill him too. It's a bright future."

Ronald smiled. "You'll forgive me for not trusting a word you say, Julian, but you did lead Michelle to her death and I'm not overly fond of you. I know them slightly better than you do."

Julian nodded and glanced at Mary, who quickly took Ronald's hand. He squeezed her hand gently and her worried faded. She smiled and kissed his hand, feeling far safer in his presence than she ever had before he arrived. He would keep her safe, he seemed to want to keep them all safe actually. Finally, Ronald opened his eyes and sat up, gazing up at Daniel expectantly.

"One of my seniors would like to talk to you, Mr Knox," Julian said, suddenly incredibly polite. "He has an offer for you. Please, come with me and talk to him." Ronald sighed and stood, offering Mary his hands. She smiled and took them quickly. Taking his arm when offered, she walked peacefully at his side. "You don't need an escort, Mr Knox."

"I like having an escort."

They followed Julian through a porthole into a dark, stone hall. There were demons lining the hall, eyes flashing and glowing as the approached the throne. Sitting there was a tall man with dark red hair. He smirked and his eyes flashed a violent red, the likes of which Mary had only ever seen in Ronald's eyes. Most demons, or hybrids, seemed to be more like pink or purple mixed with red. Ronald smiled and squeezed her hand. She glanced behind him, reassured by the sight of his scythes in their sheaths on his belt. He would protect her, even if the odds did seem stacked against them.

"Hello, Mr Knox," the man on the throne said. Mary grabbed Ronald's hand tighter. His voice was so rich and dark it sent shivers through her. "May I call you Ronald? I hear you're in charge of our little hybrid children now. That being the case, I decided it was best I introduced myself. I am-"

"Lucifer, I know," Ronald said. Lucifer growled. "It's not hard to figure out, but you can explain to Mary if you'd like to do the big dramatic introduction."

"I thought Lucifer was the king of Hell or something?" Mary whispered.

"I might as well be," he said. "I am the most powerful demon."

"Demons aren't such social creatures," Ronald explained quietly. "They don't really have systems like that. It's a matter of power equals authority. If you turn your back on any demon, they'll likely put a knife in it, no matter who you are. These demons here do as they're told because if they don't, they'll be killed but if they venture away, another demon will likely kill them."

"You know a lot about us, Ronald."

"It's taught in the academy. It's important to know who you're up against." He glanced back down at Mary, who smiled slightly. "Lucifer is known to be the most dangerous, ruthless and powerful of that type, who gather others together that is. They call themselves demon lords. There are a few, but as you can tell my how stories about him have leaked through into your world, Lucifer is the most famous."

"Your praise is most welcome," Lucifer chuckled, standing slowly and approaching them. "And exactly why I'd like to make a proposal." He beckoned forwards one of the other demons, who scurried over bowed. "I'd like it if we could form an alliance, Ronald."

"Oh?" Ronald said, tilting his head slightly.

Lucifer smiled and pushed his hand down the throat of the demon at his side. Fighting the urge to be sick as his arm disappeared to just below the shoulder, Mary turned away, burying her face in Ronald's shoulder as the blonde squeezed her hand tightly. "Squeamish, is she?"

"Apparently so," Ronald said. "I assume you're pulling what I think you are out of there and not his liver. And you won't be offended it I wipe off at least the handle before I touch it."

"Not at all," Lucifer said. "There we go."

Mary glanced out from her hiding place just in time to see Lucifer pulling a huge sword from the demon's mouth. She blanched and whined, turning back into Ronald's shoulder once more. That was disgusting. How could Ronald even be thinking about touching that sword, wiped off or not? There was a dull thud and she dared to glance up again. The sword was in the ground and the demon was scurrying off again. It was a large, black sword with a jagged edged with golden accents along the cutting blade. It was surprisingly pretty and delicate. Ronald smiled and released her hand, pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and cleaning the handle.

"You're offering this as a sweetener for the deal?" Ronald said.

"Yes," Lucifer replied.

Mary frowned and tugged on Ronald's sleeve. "What is it?"

"It's a demon sword," Lucifer said. "They're the demon equivalent of a death scythe. A wound inflicted by a demon sword will never heal and a soul pierced by the sword becomes frozen in time until the sword is removed." Ronald smiled and went for the sword but Lucifer slapped his hand away. "I wish to propose an alliance between our people, Ronald, against the reapers who are seeking to wipe us both out."

"The reapers won't bother unless we bother them," Ronald said, folding his arms. "You're well aware of that."

"Too bad," Lucifer said, he caught Ronald's hand and set it on the hilt of the sword. "I promise, if we remove the reapers, I'll allow you to have whatever you want."

"You should know better, there are far too many reapers for you to wipe out." Ronald sighed and glanced away. "I'd think it would be better to lay low and wait. Besides, what you're offering would wipe out what I want."

"But-"

"But nothing."

"Fine," Lucifer said, waving his hand slightly. "However, I ask you take the sword with you. Use it, get used to it, and see that the reapers won't just leave you to it. When you realise they only want to destroy you, please, come back to me and we'll talk."

"I'll consider it," Ronald said, pulling the sword from the ground and turning to leave, catching Mary's arm as he went. "We're going home."

"There is one thing I want in return." Ronald paused and turned slowly. "To prove you won't cross me."

"What?"

"There is one reaper I consider a threat," Lucifer said. "I want him removed, to prove that even if you won't join me, you won't cross me."

"Killing a reaper will bring the others down on us like a ton of bricks," Ronald snapped.

"Then I'll just kill you now, shall I?" he laughed. Ronald frowned and glanced at Mary, who squeezed his hand tightly. He could do it. She knew he could. "The reaper known as the Undertaker." Ronald's eyes widened and he turned away, carrying on along down the hall. "You have a week."

"Let's go, Mary."

A small group of hybrids were waiting for them when they arrived home. Ronald left them to talk and headed up the stairs to his bedroom but Mary called up to him. He paused on the balcony and turned to gaze down at them. Mary's breath caught in her throat as she gazed up at him. The early light caught his hair, soaking him in a pale golden light, his eyes glowing a brilliant, if eerie yellow green and for a moment she was sure she could see a cloak of shadows around him. She forced her mouth the close and she swallowed heavily. Absolutely stunning as Ronald was, and much as she wanted to have him as her own, she knew there was someone else in his life. She didn't know who, but she could see it in his eyes. The look of someone completely and utterly in love. Whoever she was, Mary hoped she knew how lucky she was to have a hold on Ronald's heart.

"Well?" Ronald said.

"What's a demon sword for?" Mary called. "I mean, death scythes are to collect souls for sorting, right? So what do they need the demon swords for? And who's this Undertaker?"

Ronald nodded understandingly. "They're how demons steal souls sometimes. If they freeze a human's soul with it, a reaper can't collect their soul. We can't afford to slip behind schedule and reapers can't handle a demon sword without getting sick, so they leave the sword in, the reaper comes, finds he can't collect the soul and has no choice but to leave it for the demon. They also use them for combat with each other. It's the only way, other than a death scythe to kill a demon."

Apparently deciding that was all the explanation he was going to give, Ronald turned away and carried on to his room. Mary turned to the others as a quite murmur went through the gathered hybrids. It was all very well, wanting to trust Ronald to keep them safe and protect them, but he was a former reaper. What if he was just blinded by his faith in his kind?

"He thinks we should wait," she said. "He thinks that the reapers will just ignore us if we don't look like a threat. If they start to move against us, he'll help us strike back though."

* * *

><p>"Michelle!" Grell yelled, throwing open the doors to the mansion. "Michelle!"<p>

"Please, reaper," Daniel said, stepping out the sitting room. "I believe the term loud enough to wake the dead is merely a figure of speech."

William frowned as Grell stormed through to the sitting room where the lady of the house was sitting, and to his surprise, the Undertaker as well. He chuckled as Grell summoned his scythe and swung for her. She stepped from her chair and danced aside as Grell swung again. A swift kick to the stomach and twist of Grell's wrist sent the scythe clattering to the ground. Within a few moments the pair were locked in a brutal fight. William frowned and summoned his own scythe to his hand, intent on breaking the pair up. They were here for information not an all out brawl. Stepping forwards, he was about to snap out the blades of his side to get between the pair when the huge blade of the Undertaker's scythe swung down right in front of him, forcing him to step back. The Undertaker was laughing madly as he removed his hat and loose robes.

"It's been so long since I've had a good fight, Mr Spears," he chuckled with a dark grin, swinging his scythe upwards with grace and ease so the tip of the blade was resting beneath William's chin, just pricking the skin. "I wonder if such a cold, serious man could possibly be entertaining."

"Why are you getting involved in this, Undertaker?" Eric called. "What's going on?"

"There are things you don't understand yet, Mr Slingby," he said, brushing his hair from his face. "Everyone's a pawn in a bigger game."

"What?" Alan said. "That doesn't even make any sense. What's going on this time?"

"Ooops." He chuckled and stepped aside as Grell was thrown through the space he'd been in moments before, slamming into William instead of him, sending them both flying back into a coffee table just behind them. William opened his eyes with a grunt to see the Undertaker and the lady standing about them. "You rely too much on your vision, Mr Spears. Without glasses, my poor vision has forced me to find more reliable ways to understand my surroundings."

"Sutcliff, get off of me," William hissed.

He shoved Grell off, not even giving him a chance to move and pulled the trigger of his scythe, firing the blades straight for the Undertaker, who smiles and twisted away, swinging his scythe as the blades passed only a hair from his nose. William was too amazed at the old reaper's agility even without glasses to realise the Undertaker was coming right for him until it was too late and he barely managed to avoid a viscous kick to the side of the head by raising his scythe to block. The Undertaker laughed and kicked the pole away and swung his scythe around, passing just over William's head, whistling through the air with deadly force. The old man was impressive, William had to admit it. However, William didn't intend to lose to some old retired reaper who had been out of active duty since at least a century. His division was considered the best in the country and one of the best in the world. It wouldn't do to lose to some old, retired mortician.

"Why are they fighting?" He glanced back over his shoulder to see Peter and Mark sitting with Eric and Alan. "Doesn't Mr Spears know the Undertaker is one of the greatest reapers in history?"

"Peter," Eric said quietly. "Stop being so grumpy. I would have thought you two getting together would put you in better mood."

"What?" Mark cried, turning red. "No, nonononono. We- we're not- we-" The Undertaker was laughing madly and abandoned his battle with William in favour of patting Mark fondly on the head. "We're not together!"

"Don't be so shy, Mark," Alan said with a small smile. "You two make an adorable couple."

Peter smiled, wrapped his arms gently arm his shoulders and entwined their fingers as Mark blushed and turned away. "After so long, it just made sense, I suppose."

"Well," the Undertaker chuckled. "You two have been meant for each other as long as I've known you. I was wondering just how long you two could keep pretending for." He sighed and tilted his head slightly before tossing his scythe so the blade dug into the wall separating Grell and the lady perfectly. "That's enough. I think we've all had enough excitement for the day and it's not even nine o'clock."

Grell huffed and stepped away, picking up his scythe and storming over. "You've all got some explaining to do."

"Of course," he laughed. "Michelle dear, bring me my hat, would you?"

"So it really is you?" Alan said quietly. Michelle smiled and nodded as she pulled the Undertaker's scythe from the wall. William frowned and glanced her over. It was a human boy, there was no doubt. "We thought you were dead, Michelle! How could you do that to us? We buried you. We thought you were gone..."

Michelle sighed and picked up the Undertaker's hat as she walked over, bowing slightly as she offered it to him. "Undertaker, sir."

"Thank you," he chuckled, shaking his head so his hair fell over his face and setting his hat on his head once more. William was certain he was Grell blushing slightly and pouting when his hair covered his face again. For heaven's sake, did he have _another_ crush? "It's not dear Michelle's fault. We were only doing what was necessary. It's important to keep things quiet."

"Then I suggest you fill us in," William snapped. "Because we only have a week before we have to compete with security teams to find Ronald and we don't need you bunch of idiots getting in the way. So, let's start with how you're still alive and what you have to do with Ronald falling into enemy hands."

Michelle sighed and slumped back in her armchair, adjusting her glasses slightly. "As you know, for centuries demons have been able to transfer souls and memories as long as the soul is attached to a certain object. Since the hybrids used my own scythe to cut my record, it collected my soul but the Undertaker took it and so it wasn't removed for sorting. After that it was a matter of finding a contractor, this one is named Catherine Sharp and she wished to be stronger. She can do whatever she wants and no one can stop her now. Make sense?"

"You're taking advantage of humans and their unbelievably simple minds to further your goals?" he said. "That's low even for you, Michelle."

"Hardly," she replied. "You have no idea what we're facing, Will."

"Is this the demons again?" Eric said. "You told us, remember? Demons trying to cause chaos and kill us. It's not possible, remember?"

"Listen to them, guys," Grell said quietly. His voice was so soft William almost didn't hear him but he did and glanced over worriedly. What did he know about this? "I think they're right. We need to listen to them."

William nodded slowly and the Undertaker grinned, taking it as a sign to tell the story. It didn't really ease any of his fears and instead left William with a lot of worrying questions. If there really were demons going to make a move on the London Branch, why couldn't they just warn the higher ups? What use did they think one branch would do? Admittedly, London Branch was one of the biggest in the world, and one of the most important where a lot of the country or even European or world heads were based but there were thousands more reapers across the world, they outnumbers demons at _least_ five to one.

"What about Ronald?" Alan said quietly.

"What about him?" Daniel said. "I told you we had nothing to do with his disappearance."

"He was wearing Michelle's broach."

"I wasn't wearing it the day I died, which is a very surreal thing to say, by the way," Michelle snapped. "It was back at my town house. Which means it was probably Julian who captured him. We do have something that could be of help." She reached into a draw and tossed William a small vile of red liquid. "It's the serum they used to turn him. It's the only one we have. Take it to your doctors, see what they can do with it. You might be able to save him yet."

William frowned and looked it over but nodded slowly. It was a long shot, but it was hope. That was all he needed to for now. Any hope, no matter how faint, would do him. It all seemed to be piling up though. Everything was going wrong at once. What was wrong with the world at the moment? Why did it all had to happen now?


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N:** You know, I don't know when all these romancey vibes started slipping into this fic, but go with it. As I said last chapter. Spread the love. Everyone should have someone to love. They must all find someone to love, happy endings for all (because Mina wrote the plot. I have a habbit of killing people and ending in death) and that means _everyone._ Like all you people who give those lovely reviews. I love you guys, please keep them coming.

* * *

><p>"Well, will it work?" William said, watching Dr Burns carefully. When he got no answer he got more than a little impatient. "Dr Burns? Will it work?"<p>

"I suppose, it _might_," Dr Burns replied. "I'll see what I could do, but it would be better if I had a subject to look at, and I'm not sure how well it would work even then. I'll do my best though. I've only had it a day, it's still too early to tell but I'll do my best."

"See that you do," Lucy said quietly. "It's important. Shouldn't you be getting to work, Mr Spears? Let Dr Burns work." William sighed and turned away, slowly walking with Lucy back towards his office. "I know this is difficult for you, William." He nodded, noting that despite the people milling around she'd switched to using his first name. "Have you heard any more news?"

"None," William said. "I'm incredibly worried about him, Miss Rose. He might not have a week. He came to the apartment the night we told you about him, he didn't know I was awake and he sat on the bed just talking. He sounded absolutely starving. He wants to feed. He'd really struggling and I honestly don't know if he's going to be able to hold on much longer."

"You know all you can do it keep searching and keep hoping, I'm afraid."

William nodded and they went their separate ways. As he entered their division's shared office Eric had Alan pinned to the desk, the pair locked in a heated kiss as Eric's hand wandered. Alan moaned and tossed his head away, breaking the kiss.

"William," he panted.

"What did you just call me?" Eric snapped, sitting back and glaring down at him.

"No, I didn't mean-"

"You called me William."

"No I didn't."

"Yes you did."

"I meant-"

"He meant you should be working," William snapped. Eric jumped and spun around, almost falling off the desk and turning his glare on William instead. "We're doing the correct use of office furniture with the students in the academy, would you like a refresher, Slingby?"

"Alright, alright, give us the lists and we'll go."

"Good to know." He strode into his office and picked up the lists before handing them out. "Where's Sutcliff?"

"Here, Will!" Grell called, bouncing in. "Ready for work."

"For once," he muttered, handing him his list. "Let's get to work."

The day dragged back and William found himself in a worse mood than normal when he finally got away from the students in the academy and was ready to go out searching for Ronald with the others. Not that working, teaching and looking for Ronald ever put him in much of a good mood. They split up as they normally did and began the search. William strode through the streets of London, watching for demons or hybrids. He remembered when Ronald was upset or worried, or just wanted comfort of any kind, he wore William's shirts. William understood why now. Usually, if he was in any sort of bad mood or needed comfort, rare as that was, he'd simply grab Ronald and hold on him. It didn't matter if they just stood there in silence, as long as he could just hold onto Ronald.

He stopped suddenly, realising he recognised the blonde he'd just passed. Turning on the spot he jumped up to the nearby roof, watching her go. Yes, the pretty, buxom blonde who'd been perched on Ronald's lap. He summoned his scythe and pulled the trigger. The blades closed around her jacket in just the right way, of course, and he retracted the scythe, yanking her up onto the roof. Mary gasped and spun around, lashing out. Stepping back with ease, William swung his scythe so the pole smashed against the side of her head, throwing her off the side of the building and to the street below where she stayed, still and quiet. William stepped off the roof, dropping with ease to the ground and picking her up. Dr Burns had said he wanted a live specimen, and she would know where Ronald was. It was best to get her back quickly then return to the search once she was secure. Eric, Alan and Grell were perfectly capable of bringing Ronald home if they found him. He hoped at least.

"Mr Spears," Dr Burns called as he walked in. "I didn't expect you day so soon. Has something... who's she?"

"Mary, I believe," William replied. "A hybrid. You said you wanted one."

"Yes, I suppose I did," he said. "This way, quickly, we'll put her in the observation quarters."

William nodded, following him through the halls. The observation rooms were lockable, single rooms used mainly for psychiatric patients. He frowned and stopped suddenly. Dr Burns turned and tilted his head slightly.

"Is the room where Ronald..."

Dr Burns nodded quickly. "Yes, yes. People have tried to stay in there, but even people who don't know what happened say it's got a creepy vibe. We can't... can we?"

"Yes. She can stay in there."

Dr Burns sighed and opened the door to the room. Stepping inside, William shivered slightly. It was creepy. Not just the strange feeling but _knowing_ Ronald had come minutes away from losing his life in there. He set Mary down on the bed and glanced around.

"Mr Spears," Dr Burns said quietly. "Are you alright?"

"Why do I keep failing him?" he murmured.

"You know you mustn't start thinking like that," he said firmly. "Remember what Dr Green keeps telling you? When you start blaming yourself you just upset him more. You know Ronald doesn't blame you for any of this. He never blames you for anything that's happened to him and he hates when you blame yourself."

William nodded and turned away. "I know. He's incredibly soft in that respect."

"Why in there?" Dr Burns said quietly, bolting the door.

"Because she seemed fond of Ronald," he replied. "I want her to know..." He paused and glanced back at Mary. "I need to get back to looking for Ronald."

William returned to London, back to desperately searching the area for any sign of Ronald. At least something had come out of today's search. If nothing else, they'd got a hybrid back to the offices for Dr Burns. They were one step closer to curing Ronald, if only they could find him.

* * *

><p>"Shouldn't you be searching for Ronald?" the Undertaker said, stitching up a giant gash across the torso of the woman he was working on. "I doubt Mr Spears would be happy to know you were here with me instead."<p>

"Ronnie's not in London anymore," Grell replied quietly. "He's long gone. I keep trying to tell Will, but you know how he is about being meticulous. He wants to be sure before he moves on. If we miss something that could have been important he'd flip."

The Undertaker nodded slightly. "You seem to be surprisingly calm."

"Why? What were you expecting?" he muttered.

"I was under the impression you were close to Michelle," the Undertaker replied. "I would have thought discovering she was alive still would have had more of an impact. You seem rather unsurprised."

"Well, we had suspected," Grell said. He sighed and laid back. "She was always suspicious and Ronnie had her broach, although apparently that wasn't anything to do with her, but we all knew she was suspicious. She wasn't going to tell us. She doesn't want us involved, and I can see why I guess, but it's not going to happen. Ronnie's involved now, so we're going to sort it out."

"You seem to know a lot about this."

Grell sat up on the coffin again and folded his arms. "So?"

"You didn't seem surprised when we told you what was coming." He washed and dried his hands before striding over and leaning over Grell so their noses were almost touching. "Do you know a little more than you're letting on, my dear?"

"What make you think that?" Grell said, leaning back on his elbows to get some space. "I don't know any more than you do."

"Of course, but I know far more than most," the Undertaker chuckled. "Now now, don't lie to me, Miss Sutcliff, I really do hate when people lie to me. Amusing as it is when people think they can deceive me, it wears off fast." He ran a long nail along the side of his face. "If you continue to bore me I'll have to force you to tell me."

"Really?" he murmured, shivering slightly.

"But of course." He laughed softly and leant further over him. "I'm very good at extracting information, you see. I'm very... _persuasive_..."

The lid of the coffin was whipped away from beneath him suddenly and he fell into the coffin, staring up at the Undertaker. "I'm not a tough nut to crack..." Realising how guilty that sounded he carried on quickly. "Even if I knew anything."

"Well," he said, a huge grin coming to his lips. "We'll see if that's true, won't we?"

"Undertaker," William said, pushing open the door. "Have you seen Sutcliff?"

"No," he replied, placing the lid back on the coffin and plunging Grell into darkness. "No one here but me and my clients, I'm afraid."

William grumbled and there was the trademark click of his scythe against his glasses. "When I see him... He's probably off chasing some demon instead of actually bothering to look for Ronald. Honestly. Well, if you see him, tell him we managed to capture one of the hybrids."

"Oh, that should be fun to deal with," he chuckled. "I'll tell him. Do have fun." William's footsteps faded away and the door closed. The lid of the coffin was pull away and the Undertaker gazed down at Grell with a soft, almost forlorn smile. "My dear, are you alright?"

"Fine," Grell said, sitting up. "He's grumpier than normal."

"Can you blame him?" the Undertaker said, sitting on the edge of the table the coffin was set on. "His heart is aching for his loved one. I understand the heartache of being separated from those you love. After so long, I've had to grown used to losing people." He sighed and closed his eyes, laughing softly as he shook his head. "It's something of a relief to think it might soon come to an end."

"Undertaker?" He frowned and gazed up at him. "Are you alright? Are you sick?"

"No, no," he laughed. Grell frowned. He was talking about dying, wasn't he? Why was he laughing? "We should know above all people that life doesn't last forever. Lucifer wants to move against the reapers of London, he won't allow me to be around when he does. I won't go down easily but there are powerful demons, and I doubt they're leave anything to chance. He was send strong demons in number to try to overwhelm me. It is possible I will finally meet my end. It has been fun though. I have very little to regret."

"Oh, Undertaker."

Climbing out of the coffin, he threw himself onto the Undertaker, wrapping his arms around him tightly. He was one of their strongest, closest allies and a dear friend. How could they lose him to this fight too? They'd already been through so much. They weren't going to let him go. They'd fight to help him, all of them would, he knew they would. He hugged him closer and snuggled against him.

"Don't worry, we're going to help you. We'll talk to Will, he'll help. We're not leaving you to die at the hands of snotty demons. You watch. We're going to keep you safe."

"That's sweet," the Undertaker said. "But I can look after myself."

* * *

><p>William returned to the hospital wing rather than going straight home when he usually would. Mary was awake and banging against the door. Dr Burns, Hazel and Green were standing outside her door, chatting quietly over coffees.<p>

"Mr Spears," Dr Burns called as he approached. The others glanced up and smiled. "It's good to have you back. She's been awake a few hours and rather angry. We've checked her over for injuries or contagions. I think it would be alright for you to go in with her but I would recommend you wait for Miss Rose."

"That's quite alright," Lucy said, striding over. "Mr Spears stopped in at my office before heading down here. Shall we then?"

They pushed his door open and Mary stumbled back as they came in. She sat warily on the edge of the bed, surveying them for any chance to escape. Dr Burns came in with them and shut the door. William hung back slightly, looking her over more carefully. Had Ronald really been interested in her or was it merely an act or his new demonic nature? She had been slumped across his lap, her arms around him. She was attractive, or at least the sort of attractive Ronald generally went for, but he'd yet to see any sign that she could mean any more to him. Or perhaps becoming part demon meant there was nothing more he was interested in anymore.

"Ian and the demons said you wouldn't leave us alone," Mary said. "I wanted to believe Ronald when he said you weren't going to come after us but I suppose he doesn't know you lot as well as he'd like to think. So, what are you going to do with me then? Experiment on me before you kill me?"

"Actually," Dr Burns said. "I think I can figure out a way to remove the human and demon sides to you and turn you into a full reaper. Given that we're working on this antidote for Ronald I would think it would work on the rest of the hybrids. It would certainly be preferable to killing them, wouldn't it, Lucy?" She shot him a cold glare and he stuttered slightly. "I mean, Miss Rose."

"Hmm." She continued glaring and Dr Burns gave a weak smile. "I suppose it would be preferable."

"We don't want some sort of _cure_," Mary cried. "We just want to be left alone."

"And we want Ronald back," William said.

Mary glared up at him defiantly. "He doesn't _want_ to come back here. Ronald is perfectly happy with us. He doesn't want to come back to some stuffy, cold hearted boss like you. He's happy with us and he'll never leave us."

"I highly doubt you can give him the help he needs," Dr Burns said.

"Help? He's not hurt."

"Not physically," William growled.

Lucy sighed and stepped over. "Are you alright, Mr Spears? Is this too much?"

"I told you," Dr Burns said. "Bad vibes. Not surprising either. You know, just too much bad energy in the room."

"What are you talking about?" Mary snapped.

William sighed and pushed Lucy and Dr Burns out the door before turning to her with a file in his hands Mary stared up at him like he was going to hurt her. Too bad. He wasn't going to hurt her, especially not with Lucy and the three doctors outside the door. He wasn't a fan of torture anyway. He sighed and sat slowly on the bed next to her.

"You seem rather found of Ronald," he said quietly.

"He's been kind to us. He wants to help us and protect us from you lot," she replied, glaring at him. "Ian helped him see how much trouble we were in and he wanted to help."

"Ian brainwash him. He used Ronald's already fragile mind and manipulated him into believe whatever he wanted him to believe," William said, keeping as calm and cool as he could. "Ronald might feel sorry for you but he would never abandon his friends or his home just because of that. Ian is making him believe he's not wanted, and I won't forgive anyone for using Ronald for their own selfish purposes."

"Is that your job?" Mary said. "Is that why you killed him? Because Ronald was listening to him and realising you didn't really care and were just using him? He's finally seen the truth about you, that you see him as nothing more than a tool, and you can't stand it."

William frowned and tapped his fingers against the file. There were a lot of reasons Ronald could chose from to hate him. But they'd worked through them all. Ronald didn't actually seem to care. He absolutely refused to believe Ronald would suddenly change for no reason at all. After so long, and all the obvious reasons he'd ignore, William couldn't accept that he'd simply change his mind. And Ronald had been willing to sleep with him before he fed. He wasn't completely lost. There was still something there. Ian had tricked him into believing William didn't feel anything but lust for him, he'd reverted him back to the way he'd been before their relationship, when he slept around for affection. It was disgusting.

"Ian's dead?"

"You should know, you killed him," Mary snapped.

"No I didn't," William said. "I left Ronald chained up, we were going to come back but by the time we got back there he was gone."

"Ian was in the bedroom and Ronald was over his body when I found... him..." The realisation seemed to him her and William frowned. Ronald had killed Ian? "Why would he...?"

"Ian wanted war, from what you say Ronald doesn't," William said, trying to think of a logical reason despite his mind racing, telling him maybe Ronald wasn't so far gone. He had to plan for the worst and anything more would be a plus. "Perhaps he was simply bored of Ian trying to control him."

"He was very controlling..." Mary whispered. "But... Still, he won't just give into your demands and come back. He cared about us."

"I don't doubt it," he said. "He is rather soft hearted, especially when it comes to children, and he did feel a lot of guilt and sympathy for your kind having been created against your will, but as I said he'd never leave his loved ones, he'd ask for help."

"I bet you only care because you don't want to look like you've lost a worker. You don't want people to know what a horrible boss you are."

"Mr Spears," Dr Burns said suddenly. "It's Mr Slingby and Mr Humphries. They've just been admitted."

William nodded. "I'll be right out."

"More workers in danger?" Mary sneered.

"Here," William said, handing her the files. "This is why this room makes everyone so uncomfortable. That you time, I have things to tend to."

He turned and strode out, leaving her to look at the file. There was noise in the private recovery rooms. William hurried over behind Dr Burns and found Eric and Alan complaining about being looked over. Although, William could see why they needed to be. There was blood down one side of Eric's face and Alan seemed to have broken the arm his injured when they first faced the hybrids again. Well, he had been warned it wasn't one hundred percent yet. He waited in the doorway for the doctors and nurses to finish with them before he entered. Eric had been given pain killer and sedatives to keep him quiet and sleeping. It was probably best. However, Alan seemed lucid enough. He strode over and sat in the chair next to the bed.

"How are you feeling?" William said quietly.

"I've been better," Alan said, patting the heavy cast on his arm. "Not too bad I think. I have a headache where I hit the wall and they got my across the leg with a scythe. It was him, William."

"Who?" he said, having the horrible feeling he already knew but needing to hear Alan say it to believe it. "Who did this?"

"Ronald."


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N:** Hello my pretties. I'm getting good at these daily updates, aren't I? So, answers for you. Like what did Ronnie do? What's happened to Eric and Alan? Grim is being adorable, Ron is being sneaky and the Undertaker and Grell are, well, being their usual slightly insane selves. Yays. So, thank you for your reviews, please keep them coming.

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><p>Ronald.<p>

There was utter silence in the hospital room as that sunk in. Alan was watching William quietly, waiting for him to react. Ronald had been in London, had been involved in an attack on Eric and Alan. No. The Ronald he knew and loved would never hurt Eric and Alan. He loved them like his family. He got up and strode out. Ronald wasn't like that.

"William!" Alan called, attempting to get out of the hospital bed and follow but stopped when he jolted his arm. "William, wait!"

He strode out into the hall, up to the roof. Ronald hadn't done that. He couldn't have done that. Could he? He clenched his fists around the railings. Why had things gone so horribly wrong? The Undertaker was right that blaming himself and picking apart what he could have done differently wouldn't help, but it wouldn't make any difference. He'd do it anyway. He'd always been like that. If things went wrong and he hadn't done _everything_ he could have to the absolute best of his abilities or by the book he was always worrying. Ronald wasn't doing this. He couldn't be doing this. Not of his own free will.

"Hey, don't jump," Lucy said quietly. He glanced back at her. "It's not that bad."

"Yes it is," William said. He turned back and gazed down at the sprawling town below. "If he really did attack Eric and Alan then he's gone too far to be saved, we both know that."

"There's still hope, William," she replied. "I spoke with Alan. He said they saw Ronald and ran after him. The lost him in the alleyways and the demons attacked and took their scythes. That begs the question did Ronald plan the attack and lead them into it, or was the trap for him but they lost him too and found a new target? Does that make you feel any better?"

"I guess," William said quietly. "It's at least an option."

"Right, so I think you should go home and get some sleep. You can continue searching tomorrow. Nothing will happen to Eric and Alan for now. Unless you wanted to speak to Mary again?"

"That might be a good idea."

He returned to the hospital wing to find Mary curled up on the bed with the file on the floor. He opened the door and she glared up at him. He picked up the file and set it on the side table before sitting on the bed.

"That's disgusting," she hissed. "Let me out of here."

"Do you understand why Ronald needs to be here with the people who can help him?" William said. "He'll fall apart. He's not ready to go through this kind of thing yet."

"You underestimate him," Mary said. "He's stronger than you think."

"Well," Dr Burn said, coming in with a syringe. "Let's see how this goes, shall we?" He glanced up. "Oh, Mr Spears. I didn't realise you were here. Now, if this works, you'll be a reaper by morning."

"If it doesn't?" William said.

"There shouldn't be any adverse side effects," he replied. "So, shall we?"

"Before you do," Mary said. "I should warn you, we met with Lucifer. This so called Undertaker will be dead by the end of the week."

"We'll bare that in mind," William said, turning to leave. "I'll check in with you tomorrow morning, Dr Burns. I'll leave you to your work." He stopped in the door and frowned. "You haven't seen Sutcliff, have you?"

"Not since this morning when he came in complaining about having to get his own coffee," Dr Burns replied.

William nodded and strode out. He wouldn't usually be so worried, but with what had happened with Eric and Alan made him a little more concerned for Grell's health than normal. Not to mention, the last thing they needed was demons with a chainsaw. When he arrived home, Grim was lying on the edge of the kitchen counter. He shut the door and Grim jumped, tumbling from the counter to a fluffy pile on the floor. William sighed and picked him up by the scruff of his neck, wrapping him in one arm as he set out a new bowl of food for him.

"I know Ronald's soft on you," he muttered, setting him down. "But I wish you would stay out the kitchen." Grim mewled and began to stuff his face. "Never mind."

He headed into the bedroom and changed slowly only to stop just before climbing into bed. There was a small box and a note on Ronald's pillow. He reached over slowly and picked up the note. Ronald had been there. William couldn't mistake his writing. Ronald had been there while he was out. '_I thought I'd give you a gift to make up for leaving like that instead of staying to continue our fun, boss_' it sounded so casual. He reached over and pulled the box up onto his lap, unwrapping it slowly. Inside the box, to his utter amazement, were the shackles he'd chained him up with. The little blonde was getting bold. Grim mewled and jumped up with him, curling up in the soft inside of the box. William sighed.

"You're an idiot."

Picking up the box, he set it down across the bed. He was getting so bold. He was showing himself to Eric and Alan, slipping in and out of the realm... He climbed slowly into bed and closed his eyes. If he'd show himself to Eric and Alan and was coming through to their realm, why wasn't he letting William see him? He would have given anything just to talk to him again, even if just for a little while. He'd made it perfectly clear he didn't like being the way he was but was refusing to admit he was in danger. He seemed to believe they'd already made up their minds to execute him. Did he honestly believe if he showed up asking for help they'd just kill him?

He sighed, trying to get some sleep. He didn't want to think about it anymore. Ronald was out of his reach for now. As long as there was no proof to the contrary, he'd believe Ronald wasn't acting of his own free will and that what happened with Eric and Alan was merely a coincidence and that the demons had just picked up an opportunity. He couldn't have really turned against them. Against _him_.

* * *

><p>The next morning, he William returned to the hospital wing. Eric was awake and could be heard down the halls. There was still no sign of Grell either. He was getting a little worried now. Dr Burn caught his arm suddenly and he turned. He didn't look well.<p>

"What's happened?" William said.

"Lots of thing," Dr Burns replied. "But then that's not unusual. You know I've barely had a week off in the past fifty years."

"You're the best doctor we have," he said. "But that's hardly an excuse. What has happened that's relevant to me?"

"The test hybrid, Mary, she's dead."

"How?"

"The vaccine," he replied. "It worked, to an extent, but not in the right way." William frowned. "It didn't remove the demon and human side, it removed her immortality. She returned to being human, however, she'd taken too much damage for a human body to take. Her body failed, unfortunately. I haven't had to collect a human soul for a long time, you know?"

"So, if we gave Ronald the antidote as it was we'd kill him?" William muttered.

"Well, there's a high chance," Dr Burns said. "But, if we know what's coming, there's also a chance we would be prepared enough to help him before his body failed."

"He would be human though."

Dr Burns nodded and William frowned. "It's a risk, I know, I'm still working on another version though. It's actually been rather helpful. Now I know how to create a human, there's now a fifty-fifty chance I'll remove the right aspects the next time. Another specimen would be incredibly useful. Still, as a last resort it's something."

William nodded again. Yes, he supposed it was. It was something to fall back on if there was no other hope. But to make Ronald human? If his memories became in tacked, he'd probably suffer even more. He wouldn't thank them. And if he forgot... There were days he wished he could let Ronald forget. Perhaps he could get a fresh new start, away from all his pain and suffering. And William would have to watch him age and die. He couldn't stay in the reaper realm. It was completely against the rules to have any humans in their realm. But if it was the only way, he would give up Ronald if it was the only way to save him.

"Also, I think you need to talk to Alan," Dr Burns said. "There's been some... developments."

"What sort of developments?" William said, snapping from his thoughts.

"We haven't told Mr Slingby yet but..." He paused and sighed. "There are signs much like when the Thorns first began to take hold."

"You mean, he might not have been cured of the Thorns?" he said. "The symptoms were just temporarily eased."

"It's not certain," Dr Burns replied. "It could just be a small incident, completely unrelated, we don't want to get anyone too upset."

William nodded. He was right. This would be a serious problem. Eric wasn't going to like this news. No one would. He strode through to their room. Eric was talking loudly and Alan was just nodded and smiling as he read a book quietly.

"Good morning, you two," he said quietly. They glanced up at him and smiled. "I should apologise for leaving so suddenly last night."

"That's alright," Alan said. "I probably should have said it in a better way. I didn't mean to make it sound like it was actually Ronald. It wasn't."

"He led us into a trap," Eric growled. "Even if he's brainwashed and thinks we're out to get him, he's not going to make it any better by trying to get us killed."

"He might not have been," he argued. "We went after him. Who's to say the demons weren't after him and just decided they wanted our scythes more than they wanted him?"

William nodded. "Let's hold onto that then. Have either of you seen Sutcliff?"

"No, why?" Eric said.

"No one has seen him since he left to search."

"Worried about me, Will?" Grell said, throwing his arms around him. "I knew you cared really. You act all tough but you love me really."

William sighed and shoved him off so he could glance him over. He looked alright. At least he wasn't injured too. That really would just make his day complete. Although, he was wearing the same clothes as the night before.

"Where've you been?" Eric snapped.

"Nowhere," he replied quickly. "It's none of your business. Don't you know it's rude to ask a lady about what she does with herself at night?" William frowned and folded his arms. "What? It's not like it's a crime to find something more interesting to do than listen to people whining about their jobs and how hard life is. Besides, a friend needed my help and comfort. It's none of your business anyway."

"Alright, Sutcliff, that's enough. There's a lot you all need to be briefed on. So, I think we should probably get started."

* * *

><p>"Undertaker," Mark said quietly. "You seem kind of quiet."<p>

"Pondering life, my dear boy," the Undertaker replied.

Mark frowned and sat back on the coffin, watching the Undertaker fixing up a body in his finest black suit ready for the funeral. He wasn't laughing like he usually did. It was all very odd. Peter didn't seem bothered by it though. If he'd noticed it, he hadn't cared. He'd just carried on out to do his work.

"Like, you have to ask yourself. Why would someone sell their soul?" he said with a smile. "What would make someone so desperate they'd sell their life force, their very essence, to be devoured by a demon?" Mark's frown deepened as he laughed. "What would you be willing to become meat for?"

"I can't imagine anything," Mark replied. "But some humans are stupid."

"Not just human," the Undertaker replied. Mark stared over. "It's not me."

"Oh good. Who then? I don't know many reapers who would be close enough to a demon to make a..." He stopped dead and sighed. "What was it for? For a manipulate genius, she's an idiot sometimes. What could possibly be worth that?"

"Who knows?" He laughed and shook his head. "The mind of a woman can be somewhat complicated."

The doors opened and William and Grell came in to sit with them. They sat either side of Mark and the Undertaker's smile grew as Grell waved. Now what was going on? He sighed and leant on his knees. William and Grell looked stressed.

"What happened now?" he said quietly.

"We've had some bad news," William said. "According to one of the hybrids, Ronald met with Lucifer and they've been assured that you'll be dead by the end of the week, Undertaker."

The Undertaker laughed and laid the body he'd been working on in a coffin, slowly closing the lid. "Well, this should be interesting."

"Why are you laughing?" Grell cried.

"Haven't you heard?" he laughed. "Sometimes you have to laugh or else you cry. I've have a good run. Life doesn't last forever. We should know that better than most. It is our business after all."

"Don't talk like that!" Grell cried, throwing his arms around him. "If Lucifer wants to get rid of you, then you're a threat. We need you alive. Right Will?" William nodded slowly. "See, you're part of the gang."

"Well, that's all very well and good, but I have to carry on looking for Ronald. And another hybrid if possible. Are you coming, Sutcliff?"

"Yeah, I'll be right behind you," he said, waving his hand dismissively. Mark tilted his head slightly, noticing the Undertaker's hand resting on the small of Grell's back. "I'll be there in a minute."

William sighed and strode out. After a moment watching the pair, Mark ran after him. "I'll come with you."

William nodded as Mark joined him. He liked William well enough. He'd seen how much William cared about Ronald and the others and respected him for that. If he and Peter could get along it would be useful, but they couldn't have everything in life. And he'd rather be out searching for Ronald and the hybrids than in a mortuary with two people who he wasn't sure were completely sane.

"I heard Eric and Alan were attacked last night," he said quietly. William nodded. "Are they ok?"

"They don't think there's any permanent damage," William said. "Their scythes were taken though."

Mark nodded. "That'd be for the humans."

"Humans?"

Mark nodded again and smiled up at him, explaining quietly about the recent outbreak of humans somehow getting death scythes without even realising it. It was a very dangerous situation. They were accidently killing each other and reaping souls and even causing injuries to reapers. William was obviously concerned but his focus was still, understandably, on Ronald. There had been no sightings in London yet but it was only a matter of time as far as Mark could see.

"Is there something wrong, William? Other than the obvious?"

William opened his mouth, then shut it again and adjusted his glasses with his scythe. "There's a possible cure, but it will make Ronald human if he survives. I don't know if it's worth it, if I can put him through a human life just to stop him from being a hybrid. Is that fair? Is it right for me to decide he's better off human and mortal than as a hybrid?"

"You're trying to do what's best for him," Mark said quietly. "In the end, I think if he's not suffering as a hybrid, it's up to him. I know he seems brainwashed and not himself, but what if he's not? You have to decide whether to trust he knows what he wants and to respect that or to believe he's not himself, not able to make the decision on his own, and make that choice for him no matter what he says."

"What if I make the wrong decision?" William said, so softly Mark almost didn't hear him.

"We all make mistakes. It's how you pick yourself up afterward that matters."


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N:** Oh yes, double up date. Go me! That's it for now, that was hard work. I don't know how Mina does it. So, welcome back Ronnie. It's not looking good. It never really does those, does it. So, thank you for your reviews and please keep them coming.

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><p>"Why are you even bothering to leave a note?" Eric said, folding his arms. "He's not going to listen to reason. I think we're passed sitting down and talking it out. We have less than twelve hours before Lucy has to tell the higher ups about Ronald and we lose our chance. We have to stop being so soft about this. Plan B is looking good."<p>

"Yes, and if we can't find him I don't think it's going to do much good," William snapped. "He's in and out of the apartment, he feeds Grim and cleans up the place while I'm away but he doesn't stay long enough to bump into us. If we can keep him here until I get back then maybe we can keep him calm enough to pull off your plan and maybe talk some sense into him."

Eric sighed and nodded. He knew it was true. He stuck the note to the fridge with a magnet. It was a long shot, but he hoped Ronald would see sense. After all, they didn't have long. They'd managed to capture another few hybrids for Dr Burns to examine. They could only hope he found a cure in time.

The rain was driving down in London. William pulled his raincoat closer around him. This wasn't good. There were figures hidden behind the curtains of rain. He caught them every now and again, when their eyes flashed. He'd ignored them as best he could and carried on searching. He'd find Ronald soon. He had to.

He stopped suddenly. There was one of them was watching from the roof top above him. This one had dark, bloody red eyes. William had never seen any demon with eyes like that but Ronald's when he was about to feed. He jumped up to the roof as the hybrid dashed away across the roofs. Not before he caught a flash of rain soaked blonde hair though. William chased after him struggling to avoid slipping on the slick tiles. The hybrid jumped from the roof to the back street below and William followed without a moment's hesitation.

"Ronald!" he called over the pounding rain. "Please, wait."

He couldn't see him anymore, but he couldn't hear the splashing of footsteps anymore either. Hopefully that meant Ronald, if it really was Ronald, was just out of sight at a safe distance, listening quietly. He stopped took a few deep breaths and before calling out again.

"Ronald? Is that you?" There was no answer. Of course there wasn't. "Ronald, we're only trying to help you. At midnight tonight, Miss Rose is going to hold a meeting with the higher ups to inform them of your situation. Come home with me now and we can sort everything out, I promise." Still nothing, but still no sign of him moving away either. He sighed and ran a hand through his soaked hair. "Listen to me, Ronald, I only want to help you. I know you're hungry, I can get you a soul if you want. Like I said, I only want to keep you safe and happy. I'd rather give you a soul myself than have you get in a position where you're absolutely starved and go after one on your own. I don't want you to get hurt. One human soul won't matter if it keeps you safe." He pushed up his glasses and wiped the rain from the lenses. "Even if you don't make a choice now, that's ok. Just think about it. After what happened with Eric and Alan people are starting to doubt you. If you don't come and find me by midnight they'll be nothing more I can do to keep what's going on a secret."

His footsteps moved away and William smiled slightly. It had been Ronald. It had to have been. And he'd listened. There was hope. He could still reach him. Now there was very little he could do but give him time. For now, he go and have a hot drink, maybe with a few drops of something stronger, and see what Ronald decided.

He sat in a cafe with a cup of coffee, thinking it over quietly. Maybe Eric and Alan or Grell would bump into him and help talk Ronald down too. William could only hope he was going to see sense. Eric was still watching over Alan constantly. With his arm still in a cast no one was sure he should have been out reaping but Dr Burns assured them he was fine. Of course, with William knowing there was still the threat of the Thorns returning he was even less sure. Since their scythes had remade, they'd both been eager to get out into the field again.

"Hey, William," Alan said quietly. He and Eric sat around the table with him. "Any sign yet?"

"I think I might have bumped into him, yes," William said. "He stayed out of sight and didn't say anything but I'm pretty sure it was him. I explained to him what was going on and that he needed to come and find us as soon as possible. He didn't run off. He stayed until I was done."

"That's a good sign at least," Eric muttered.

William nodded and pulled off his glasses to wipe them and dry them from the water dripping from his hair before slipping them back on. The Undertaker had yet to report of any attempts on his life. There was less than a day until her prediction of his death was proven wrong. He hoped she was wrong. The Undertaker was a powerful ally, he knew what to expect from Lucifer, he wasn't sure they could do it without him. Grell was distracted by what seemed to be a budding relationship with the Undertaker, although for some reason he seemed to denying it all together. It was very unlike him. And that worried William. He'd known Grell all his life, even if that hadn't always pleased him, and he'd never seen him so secretive about a relationship.

* * *

><p>"So, you never did tell me how much Ronald told you," the Undertaker said. Grell frowned and tilted the red hate he'd picked up from the back room. "It's important to know how much he knew beforehand."<p>

"Well," Grell said quietly. "He said that he wanted to help the hybrids because it wasn't their fault that the demons created them and were going to use them as weapons. He wanted to protect them from that fate if he could because he didn't want them to be involved in with the demons attacking the reapers."

"So he knew they were going to attack?" The Undertaker sighed and wrapped his arms around Grell's shoulders, tipping his head up. "I wish you'd told me sooner."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"It doesn't matter," he laughed.

He tilted Grell's head up and kissed his forehead. It was troubling. If Ronald knew of the demons attacking before they'd met with Lucifer then he knew far more than he was letting on. How far would he go to protect them and keep them being used as weapons?

"Undertaker?"

"Perhaps he is not as brainwashed as everyone assumes."

"What?"

"Nothing. Like I said, it doesn't matter." He captured Grell's lips with his, pressing him forcefully back to the coffin before standing straight and turning away. "I have a funeral to prepare for, we should continue this afterwards." Grell sat up, pouting slightly. "Don't look at me like that. Funerals are important. I'll return soon, I need to get the horses ready to pull the carriage."

He pulled on a coat and stepped out into the rain. The horses were unusually edgy, even for such a foul day. There was movement in one of the stables and the Undertaker smiled. It could have just been the boy he paid to watch over the stables but he knew better. He smiled turned back to the other two, grooming them quietly and slipping on their harnesses.

The funeral was boring as far as funerals went. He watched quietly before returning to the stables. Grell was waiting outside with an umbrella. The Undertaker put the horses away quietly and turned to the third stable. In the darkness he could see the young figure grooming the big black mare lovingly. Grell called him back over and he smiled, slowly returning.

Inside William, Eric and Alan were waiting. He frowned. It seemed he'd have to wait a while longer before continuing what he'd started with Grell. William seemed less agitated than he had been recently at least. He smiled and sat on the desk, snaking his arm around Grell's waist and pulling him close roughly, kissing him firmly.

"So, Mr Spears," he chuckled. "What can I do for you?"

"We just wanted to check up on you," Eric said. "After all, there have been threats made against your life."

"Not for the first time," the Undertaker laughed. "Not at all the first time someone has tried to kill me. If that's all you wanted, you don't need to worry. I've got Grell here if there's any trouble. I'm sure my lady has no problems with protecting such a feeble old man."

"If you're sure," William said. "In that case, we'll leave you to... whatever it is you want to do... we'll actually get on with looking for Ronald."

"Please, feel free to stop back any time."

As they strode back out into the rain, Alan took Eric's hand and squeezed gently. Eric glanced down and smiled. Alan's heart was pounding. How was he supposed to tell Eric there was a chance he hadn't been cured of the Thorns, just temporarily set back? After all he'd done and risked to save him. The idea brought tears to his eyes. Luckily the rain hid most of it and Eric didn't notice. He just smiled as Alan leant against his arm.

Eric had always been like that though. He'd always tried his best to keep Alan safe, just like William did with Ronald, no matter what the consequences. He'd thought being cured would mean Eric could be less delicate with him but it didn't seem to do any good. He was still a mess.

"Eric," he whispered. "I need to tell you something."

"I'll leave you two to it," William said.

Eric watched him go, then turned to Alan. Smiling awkwardly, Alan took his hand and pulled him under cover, squeezing tightly. "Eric..."

Smiling gently, Eric brushed the water running down his face and for the first time seemed to realise he was crying. "Alan? Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

"Eric, they think..." He sighed and shook his head. "Eric, there are sign that what happened with the Thorns..." He stopped again and Eric gazed down at him, a sad realisation seeming to come to his eyes. "They might have just been pushed back. There are signs that they might be... they might be coming back..."

He whimpered and fell against Eric's chest, letting him wrap his arms around him and stroke his hair. He didn't want to put Eric through all that again. He'd suffer next to him and everything seemed so much better once they thought he was cured.

"Alan," Eric whispered. "No, Ala... Ron?"

Alan swung around just in time to catch a flash of red eyes and soaked blonde hair. "Ronald! Ronald, wait!"

He went to run after him but Eric caught his hand and pulled him back. "No. No, let him go. Al..." He sighed and leant against him, gently rubbing his arm in the cast. "It's not certain though?"

"No. They're going to run tests again." He sighed and gazed up at him. "We need to go after Ronald, before things get too bad."

"No hard work for you," Eric said firmly. "Come on. William can look after Ron. We should go home. Come on."

"But- but-"

"No buts, come on. Let's go."

* * *

><p>The Undertaker sighed watching Grell sleeping in the coffin. It was time to go and face what was waiting. Lucifer had sent the best he had to kill him. A grin spread across his lips and he picked up his scythe, throwing off his robes and hat and striding out into the rain. In the yard by the stables, Lucifer's assassin was waiting, sitting on the roof in the rain, watching quietly.<p>

"Hello, Undertaker," he called. "You're finally ready."

"Good evening, Ronald," the Undertaker called back. "I hope you know how rude this is." Ronald stepped down from the roof and tapped a demon sword against the damp ground. "This is kind of awkward."

"Yes, I suppose so," Ronald replied quietly. "You know why I'm here then." His eyes flashed a vicious red and he smirked. "You know I wouldn't normally be so disrespectful to my seniors but it's you or me, and I like self preservation. I suppose there's no point putting it off any longer."

"You know a demon sword can't stand against a death scythe."

"That's what death scythes are for," Ronald replied pulling out one of his knives. "So?"

The Undertaker nodded and stepped forwards, swinging his scythe for Ronald in a testing arc. The blonde ducked easily below the blade and shot forwards. He wasn't playing around. He thrust the demon blade for him. Stepped back and swinging for him again only to be blocked by his knife. Well, he was doing better than he used to. The demonic powers had made him more agile and quick than he used to be.

The demon sword didn't bother him so much. Demons healed quickly so they didn't bother developing medicine, unlike the reapers. While the wound itself would never heal, they had figured out ways around it. It was about as dangerous to a reaper as a normal death scythe wound. If it was a fatal blow, it would kill, if not it could be dealt with if seen to quickly enough. Ronald must have know this, reapers were taught it, and would be looking to get a killing blow. He didn't intend to lose to some young upstart though.

Ronald was surprisingly quick across the wet concrete, their scythes clashing as Ronald kept the demon sword from getting hit by his scythe. Ducking under the scythe and spinning on the spot, swinging upwards with his sword, cutting off a few strands of hair. Not impressing the Undertaker in the slightest. Swinging around , Ronald drove him elbow into the Undertaker's stomach, eyes glowing a violent red. Growing, the Undertaker swung around the end of his scythe, catching Ronald's back as he darted away, knocking him to the ground. The blonde glared up at him over his shoulder, the sword falling from his hand, and scampered back to his feet as quickly as he could, whipping out the second knife, ready to face him head on.

Ronald shot forwards again and the Undertaker swung his scythe in a wide arc. To his surprise, Ronald leapt up, landing daintily on the blade as it stuck in the wall and took a bow before flipping off and lashing out with his knives. Chuckling slightly, the Undertaker dodged every strike before sensing an opening and driving his knee into Ronald's chin, sending him stumbling back.

"Ronnie!" Grell yelled.

The Undertaker swung around to see Grell in the doorway. When he turned back to Ronald he'd got the demon sword back and drove it up into the Undertaker. He gasped and a choked out cry of pain. Grell almost screamed in rage his chainsaw revved. Just as he swung for Ronald, the blonde pulled out the sword and kicked the Undertaker away, just about avoiding the spinning teeth, blood dripping down the blade.

"Ronald, what have you done?" Grell cried. "Ronald?" Ronald staged back and there was a soft chuckle. "Ronald, don't you back away from this. You have to stay here and face what you've done."

"He's killed the Undertaker," Lucifer chuckled, wrapping an arm around Ronald's waist from behind. "Just like I asked him too. Good boy."

Ronald spun and drove one of his knives into Lucifer's shoulder, making his howl in pain. Within moment he'd darted away, pulled open one of the stable doors and bolted away on one the big black horse, already saddled up. Lucifer growled and vanished into the darkness. Grell went to go after them but the Undertaker grabbed his arm and pulled him back. There was blood pouring from the wound just below his shoulder. Not a killing blow by any means of the word and easily healed if they got to the medical wing soon. He struggled to open a porthole and Grell helped him up.

"This isn't good," Grell whispered.

The Undertaker chuckled and shook his head. "No..."


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N:** Yes, yes after that dramatic double update we have a slightly less trumatic chapter for you. Yay. Will and Ron are being all togethery again. Yes, that's now a word, just like Undertakerness. Who spends his time this chapter giving strange advice. As Undertakers do. So, thank you for the reviews, please keep them coming.

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><p>"He'll be ok," Dr Burns said quietly. "You're lucky, you got him here in time." Grell sighed and closed his eyes as the others let out deep breaths. "He should make a full recovery within days. You can talk to him if you want."<p>

"Not you, Mr Spears," Lucy said from behind them. William frowned and turned. "We need to talk." William nodded and strode into a doctor's office behind her. "He tried to kill the Undertaker, Mr Spears."

"I know," William said quietly.

"You can't even argue he didn't," she continued. "Mr Sutcliff saw him and the Undertaker fought him. You saw him in London around the same time, so did Mr Slingby and Mr Humphries. He's gone too far. We have no choice, I've spoken with the other. We're giving the order. If he resists arrest, the security teams are allowed to use force, lethal if necessary. You understand?"

"Yes," he said. "Of course. He's gone too far. You have to put the safety of everyone else before one person."

"I'm glad you understand," she said. "I know this must be difficult for you." William nodded. "If you can bring him in quietly it would help his cause considerably."

William nodded and returned to the others at the Undertaker's side. The Undertaker was chuckling softly as Grell held his hand, ranting and raving about how much trouble Ronald was in. He cleared his throat and they all fell silent, turning to stare up at him. They all looked so guilty. He sighed and shook his head.

"He could have killed me," the Undertaker chuckled.

William frowned and nodded. "That's why they've given the order. He's to be brought in, dead or alive."

"That's not what I mean," he laughed. "He _could_ have killed me. It was an open easy shot. He chose to put the sword in my shoulder rather than through my heart."

"You mean, there's still hope," William said. "He's not completely gone. You'd tell them that if we can bring him in, wouldn't you? He's fighting. He doesn't mean to hurt us."

"Every chess master is someone else's pawn," the Undertaker laughed. "It's knowing who's pawn you are that makes you special."

William sighed and nodded. That was all the sense they were going to get out him. He didn't make much sense when he was lucid, let alone doped up on pain medication. He stepped out again and decided there was nothing more he could do, he might as well return home. Ronald wouldn't have stayed in London after that. He'd be long gone.

When he entered his apartment, Grim wasn't waiting like he normally was. William frowned and went to put down that night's food, too exhausted, mentally and physically, to stay up any longer, only to find that there was already a bowl down. Ronald had been there already then. He'd grown used to it. Ronald slipped in, fed Grim, cleaned up, made the bed and so on, but would always be gone by the time William returned. He sighed and turned into the bedroom. His bedroom now. Even if they brought Ronald in alive, he'd be imprisoned, kept under observation and maybe even executed depending on what the investigation found. Ronald might never return home again. The thought alone made him more tired than ever.

Only, what was waiting for him pushed away all his exhaustion. Ronald was curled up in bed, sleeping peacefully in one of William's t-shirts with Grim lying next to him. What the hell was he doing there? If anyone found him there they'd think William was hiding him.

"Ronald," he hissed, shooing Grim from the bed and shaking the blonde. "Ronald, wake up."

Ronald groaned softly and his eyes fluttered open. He glanced up at him tiredly and smiled slightly. For a moment everything fell into place. The world seemed perfect, just like it used to be. Then a wild fear filled Ronald's eyes and he bolted up, backing away from the bed and looking like he was going to run. No. No, William couldn't let him go again. He darted from the bed, clamping his hand over his mouth and wrapping his arm tightly around him, pulling him back and holding him down as he fought.

"Please," William murmured. "Ronald. Shh, you have to stop fighting. Please, hush. Hush, darling, I'm not going to hurt you but if you don't stop fighting Lucy might hear you." Ronald seemed to listen and lay still beneath him. William smiled slightly. "Good boy. Now, if I let you speak will you stay quiet? We'll both be in trouble if you don't." He nodded slightly and William moved his hand away slowly. "Alright, now we need to talk. Did you hear me earlier?"

"Yeah," he whispered.

"And?" Ronald glanced away and closed his eyes. "Ronald?" He still didn't answer. "You attacked the Undertaker, Ronald, the order's out, dead or alive. I don't want to see them bringing you in inside a body bag. Talk to me. I want to help you."

"You'll kill me," he hissed. "You want me dead as much as they do."

"No," William said gently, stroking his cheek. "No, I want to help you and keep you safe. Ronald, we have set up somewhere we can hide you, where we can keep you safe."

"I'm not going to let you lock me up for something I can't help," Ronald said. "No more than I'm going to let them lock me up. It's not my fault I'm like this."

"Ronald, I don't care what you are," he snapped. "You're still you, but what you're doing, what you've done, that's what's important. You can't carry on like this. You could have killed him."

"I knew what I was doing."

"Then why did you do it?"

"It was him or me, I had to." William sighed and gently ran his hand through Ronald's hair, trying to coax more out of him. "I should go."

"No, I'm not letting you go," Ronald whispered. "I want to help you more than anything. Whatever it takes. I don't want to lose you."

"You left me tied up," Ronald snapped. "You just left me there. You don't give a damn about me. Get off me. I need to go. I have to get out of here."

William sighed, closing his eyes and resting his head against Ronald's. How had his mind been twisted so much? How had they made him believe they wanted nothing more than to kill him? So much so that he'd rather work with Lucifer than give them a chance? Without thinking, he leant down and pressed their lips together gently. Ronald's eyes widened but his lips parted to allow him in, their tongues moving slowly together and making him moan softly. Whatever they'd done to make him believe they didn't care what happened to him, he had to get through to him. Somehow. And if the Undertaker believed that he had the perfect chance to kill him but hadn't taken it, perhaps there was still hope.

"Come with me," he whispered.

"What?" Ronald breathed.

"Come with me," he replied, pulling him up from the bed, taking his hand gently. "We need to go somewhere more private or Miss Rose will hear us. Well, you."

Ronald blinked up at him but followed him out. "I thought you wouldn't... want to..."

"Darling," he said quietly, turning and cupping his cheeks. "I told you, I don't care what you are. You're still my Puppy. I don't care if you're part demon or human. I'm not going to abandon you. I wish you could see they've brainwashed you. I still love you. No matter what." He led Ronald across the hall and unlocked the door of the next apartment. "The person who was the apartment above has just moved out. They'll be no one to hear you."

"You really want to?" William sighed and nodded. Of course he still wanted to be with Ronald "Even after what I just did?"

"The Undertaker tells me you had a clear shot. You could have easily driven that sword through his heart and killed him but you didn't." He pulled Ronald inside and kicked the door closed. "And I know you're fighting the urge to feed off a soul. I know you know we love you. We shouldn't be fighting. Besides, as you said, I left you there. I think I should make up for that, shouldn't I? I shouldn't be so cruel as to get your hopes up like that. I'll get through to you one way or another."

"That's the only reason? Because you think I need help?"

"Well, there are probably other ways to get through to you," William murmured, pulling him through into the bedroom. There was nothing more than an empty bed but that would do them just fine. "But this seems like the most enjoyable way to do it. For both of us."

Ronald smiled slightly and reached up around William's shoulders, stretching up to press their lips together again as William wrapped his arms around his slender body, tugging him forwards roughly and for the first time realising that Ronald wasn't wearing anything other than William's shirt. Ronald moaned loudly into his mouth as they fell back to the bed and William pulled off his jacket, waistcoat and tie, dimly wondering why whether Ronald honestly intended to sleep the night given how little he was wearing, or if he was had been intending for this to happen from the start. To devour a soul, demons needed to be in close proximity to their victim, most leant close over their mouths and drew the soul out almost like a breath. Ronald pulled at his shirt, demanding his attention again and pulling him from his thoughts.

He pulled off his shirt and tossed it away as he pulled out open the collar of Ronald's shirt, turning his attention to lavishing Ronald wish soft kissed, moving them slowly down his jaw and throat until he noticed the bruised kiss mark on his lower neck. He frowned and pulled back.

"Who did that?" he said quietly.

"Oh... well, Lucifer got a bit touchy the other day," Ronald whispered. "It's ok, I shoved him off. I've never stopped loving you. You're not going to leave me chained up while you go and get Lucy or something, are you?"

"No, no I think there's more chance of helping you if you're not locked up," William said gently. "I need you to trust me. And, not eat my soul..."

"I think I can manage that. It's difficult but I think I can do it."

William nodded and ran his hands slowly over his body, undoing the shirt and glancing over the beautiful blonde below him. Normally, Ronald would be blushing in an unbelievably cute way but today he smirked and pulled him down into a rough, heated kiss. William kissed firmly down his neck once more, biting the bruised kiss mark causing Ronald to arch up against him and let out a sharp cry, their bodies pressing together and sending hot shivers through William. He continued his kisses down to his stomach, running his tongue over his gorgeous, lean muscles, making the little blonde gasp and moan, tossing his head.

He wished Ronald would stay, and that he could somehow keep him safe from all this, but it was quickly becoming apparent there was so much more going on than he knew. Ronald was lost in a dark, dangerous world and William couldn't help him. He'd do anything he could but it seemed he really couldn't do much other than trust Ronald would pull through and was strong enough to fight off the hunger as long as he needed too.

Suddenly there was a sharp pain in his wrist and he glanced up to see Ronald holding his hand, their fingers still entwined, but quietly licking away the blood from his wrist, which _he_ seemed to have bitten hard enough to draw blood. He frowned and gently tried to draw his arm away but Ronald growled and pressed a firm kiss to the wound and William noticed his eyes were that glimmering red again and the way he was lapping up the blood felt surprisingly good, sending heat rushing through him and catching his breath in his throat. It was bliss. Absolutely amazing. And he had no idea why.

"Ronald?"

"Feels nice, doesn't it?" Ronald purred. William nodded slightly, barely stifling a soft, low moan. "Did you know, demons have a toxin in their saliva that when mixed directly with blood creates intense pleasure, effectively rendering their victim helpless?"

"No," he whispered, rocking their hips together so Ronald moaned loudly against his skin. "Although, it does seem rather... potent and effective...Demons are going into vampire myths now? I didn't think they were interested in blood."

"It tastes similar to your soul." He moaned slightly and closed his eyes as Ronald nipped quickly then gave another gentle lick. "Like a diluted version. And you still taste _so_ good. It's not unusual for demons to have a taste before they eat a soul. They're far more complicated than we think sometimes. I've learnt a lot about them."

William pulled away his arm and kissed him firmly. "Stop talking, Ronald. No more talking."

He pressed fingers to Ronald's lips and he took them willingly, nipping with his fangs just enough to draw a little blood as he coated them. Before long, he began to notice Ronald's eyes darkening and William pulled his fingers away. He needed to distract Ronald before he got too carried away by his hunger. He sat back and pressed his fingers inside, gently starting to stretch him. Ronald cried out and tossed and his head back, crying out loudly, his eyes returning to golden green. Good. He didn't look nearly as hungry like that.

The blonde clenched his fists against the mattress and against William's shoulder, forcing William to grip his hips firmly to force him to stay still and he pressed into him. William smiled slightly and leant down to capture his mouth, once more, waiting for Ronald to settle slightly. It didn't take long. It never did. Finally, Ronald squeezed his hand and bit his tongue.

"Don't bite," William hissed.

Ronald laughed weakly, his voice cracking into a weak cry as William began to move. He'd missed this. Even if it had been less than a month, he missed having the little blonde moaning and writhing beneath him. Of course, that wasn't the only think that he missed. Ronald was such a reassuring presence, he was a comfort when he was suffering and always there to keep him from getting too stressed with work. It sounded so cliché when Grell said that Ronald was like his other half, who balanced him put perfectly, but when he was away, it felt so true. Having him back and in his arms was the most reassuring thing in the world, even if he knew Ronald would leave again soon. He couldn't stay and risk being found.

"William," Ronald cried, clenching his fist in his hair.

The cry snapped him out of his thoughts and suddenly realising how rough he was being. Not that Ronald minded. He was panting and moaning, eyes clouded with lust, the glimmering red slowly deepening. He knew Ronald had to be starving by now. Demons were known to give up on finding good quality souls, although their description of good quality seemed differed to the reaper description, and just feed on whatever was at hand when the hunger became too much. Ronald must have been starving and he'd already told William he considered him a good quality soul. Still, he caught Ronald's lips and the blonde didn't show any signs of trying to feed, or maybe he was just too distracted by the deep, powerful thrusts, making him swear loudly into the kiss.

Ronald tensed around him and his voice cracked, his throat sounding raw from the noise, as he came, sending William over the edge too, moaning Ronald's name as heat flushed through him. The little blonde laid there silently, panting and flushed, and William gazed down at him, his mind still blurred with the pleasure. Finally, once he'd caught his breath, he pulled out and collapsed at his side, reaching over with a trembling hand to brush Ronald's damp hair from his eyes, noticing the blood still smeared across his lips and his eyes still glittering that violent, blood red.

To William's amazement though, Ronald caught his wrist and swinging over onto all fours above him. William's eyes widened and he went to push Ronald away, realising the situation he'd got himself into, but Ronald quickly pinned his wrists either side of his head, leaning down, still panting heavily and smiling slightly.

"Ronald, think about what you're doing," William said gently. "Just stop and think for a second. I know your instincts say you should feed but you don't want to. You're tired, you've pushed your body and your demon instincts say you should feed to regain your strength but you don't want to."

"You shouldn't tease, William," he whined. "You shouldn't let me have a taste if you're not going to let me have it all."

"Ronald, listen to me. It's me, Ronald. Remember, you just said you never stopped loving me, and I know you didn't kill the Undertaker because you don't want to be like that. You're fighting it and I'm so proud of you. Don't give into it now."

"But I'm so hungry."

"I know, I know but you have to keep fighting it, but you'll regret it. So, instead of feeding, I want you to stay with me tonight. You can go in the morning before anyone's up, but for now, you need to come back to bed with me and you can rest and recover somewhere safe and familiar." Ronald let out a slow, shaky breath and nodded slowly, moving back and letting William sit up, wrapping his arms tightly around Ronald's slim frame and holding him close. "Just, promise me you're not going to feed off me while I'm sleeping. If you're going to eat my soul, I want to be awake when you do it." The blonde nodded. "And promise that you never intended to kill the Undertaker. You missed killing him on purpose, right?" Again he nodded and William sighed, gently kissing the top of his head. "I'm sorry you ended up like this, darling, I really am, but I'm starting to think there's more going on than we know, and you're in far deeper than I thought. I'm worried about, and I want to protect you, but I don't think I can so... whatever's going on I'm going to trust that you can deal with it and that you'll break free from this mind control or whatever's happened and you'll come back to me in the end. I know what I said at the Undertaker's was out of like, you're not useless and I don't think that. Not in the slightest. I just got worked up and I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too," Ronald whispered.

"For what?" William said quietly. "None of this is your fault. They kidnapped you and made you believe we didn't care about you and made you into a hybrid. You're just trying to keep from being killed and protecting people you think are innocent. That's not a crime. You told me it was him or you. The Undertaker wouldn't have attacked you without cause which means someone else threatened your life. It's not your fault that you've ended up in this mess, you didn't ask for any of this, but I hope you've maybe started to realise it was a trick and I do still love you."

Ronald nodded with a slight smile. "I was actually apologising for the trying to feed off you... twice..."

"That's alright. It's a part of your nature," he said, helping him up and doing up his trousers before moving onto doing up Ronald's shirt, since it really was all he'd been wearing "An annoying part of your nature, but one you can't help and are trying to fight. Come on, let's go to bed."

He led Ronald back across the hall, checking the corridor for anyone who might have been passing or their friends coming to check on him, before locking the door with the extra bolts to stop anyone with a key getting in. Ronald was in the shower already when he came into the bedroom, and soon after he was climbing in his pyjamas and climbing into bed. William smiled slightly and climbed up into bed next to him. He pulled off his glasses as Ronald snuggled up next to him and laid back slowly, pulling the covers up around them. Grim jumped up onto the foot of the bed and curled up. Ronald smiled and closed his eyes as William wrapped his arms around him. They were all finally back together, the way it was supposed to be. And for the first time in weeks, he fell easily into a deep, calm sleep.

Ronald waited for a few hours after William had fallen asleep before slowly slipping out of his arms. He picked up his glasses, glanced around and sighed. William had been so kind. He got up slowly and noticed the shackles he'd left in to box the other day. A small smirk came to his lips. He supposed it was payback time. He picked them up slowly and reached over, pressing a gentle kiss to his William's lips as he locked one cuff in place around William's wrist and the other around the bed post. His heart was wrenching at the thought of having to leave him again but he didn't have much choice. He picked up the key from the box and tied it with a ribbon to Grim's collar. The kitten blinked up at him as he dressed and he smiled.

"Don't let him have it, ok?" he whispered. "We shouldn't make it too easy for him, should we?" He smiled and scratched his ear. "Look after him for me."

He stepped out the bedroom, shutting the bedroom door as quietly as he could and opening one of the windows and slipping out, pulling it shut with his weight as he dropped the three stories to the ground. He gazed up at the window longingly before slowly turning to leave. William was trusting him to deal with it. He smiled and glanced over his shoulder once more. At least something good was coming out of this.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N:** Haha my computer crashed yesterday, so I've spent all day trying to get my files back. So... William and Grim are having issues. The Undertaker is amusing himself withe everyone else's problems and Ronnie has a new pet to talk to. Yays. So, yes, please keep your reviews coming, and thank you to everyone. All you lovely people go find yourselves a cookie. Treat yourself.

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><p>"Grim, come here," William groaned, reaching as far as the chain would allowed. "Grim." The Kitten blinked up at him and mewled happily, just out of his reach. "Grim. For heaven's sake, Grim. Did he tell you not to let me have the key?"<p>

Grim bounced away and he sighed. Obviously Ronald had told him to keep the key away from him. Some sort of pay back for leaving him tied up like that no doubt. Stupid brat. He was so childish. He was still his though. He needed time and trust. He'd be ok. Grim came within range and William went for him, but Grim hissed and jumped away to Ronald's side of the bed then scampered off to life in the pile of clothes Ronald had left last night, gazing up at him like he didn't know what he'd done wrong.

"Grim..." He sighed and shook his head. "Well, I can't feed you unless you give me that key."

"Will!" Grell called. "Will! We're here to make sure you're not too depressed that Ronnie's snapped. Will?"

William groaned. As if his morning couldn't get any worse. He couldn't imagine the embarrassment of Grell finding him like that. He reached for Grim again, stretching as far as he could. Grim just gazed up at him before curling up and rolling over.

"Will!" Grell cried. "He's not answering. Open the door, Alan." There was moved meant and the lock being opened but the bolts were on. "Alan."

"It's locked from the inside," Alan snapped.

"Will! I'll have to break it down." There was the loud rev of the death scythe and he groaned. "Don't look at me like that, he could be hurt."

"Sutcliff," William called. "Don't you dare!"

"Will, you're alive! Open the door."

"I... can't..."

"In that case..."

The scythe revved again and Grim looked up as William sighed. "Just get Slingby to use a porthole."

There were a few moments of silence before Grell flounced in. William groaned as Grell grinned. There was a moment of silence before Grell squealed and ran over, jumping into his lap, wrapping his arms around his neck. Sighing slightly, William went to shove him off but Grell grinned and pulled him as far as the chain would go before sitting on his lap once more.

"So, Ronald got in last night then?" Alan said.

"No," William muttered. "I chained myself up."

Eric smirked. "Where's the key?"

"On Grim's collar," he said.

Eric sighed and strode over. Grim was watching him carefully until he was close enough to reach for him when he bolted out between Alan's legs and out the door. Eric and Alan went after him and William sighed. This could take a while.

"Sutcliff," he said with a sigh and Grell wiggled against him. "Get me out of these things."

"Right." He revved up his scythe and William frowned but Grell quickly cut through the chain. It was a start. "Want me to get the shackle off?"

He stood up and strode out to the living room where Alan and Eric were still trying to catch Grim. He wasn't letting Grell put that chainsaw anywhere near his wrist. At least now he was free to move. Grim seemed to enjoying himself playing with everyone. William sighed as Grim ducked under the couch, which was just raised enough for him to get beneath, out of Eric and Alan's reach and bolted out the other side before realising he was running straight for him. He skidded across the floor and into William's leg where he caught the kitten by the scruff of the neck. Finally, he got the key and undid the cuff before sitting him down. He couldn't _believe _Ronald had done this to him. After he'd been so kind to him last night. He supposed he was just trying to prove a point and paying him back for being tied up. It was a shame he hadn't waited until he was awake before he left. He would have liked to have said goodbye.

"So, we're just going to find him soon?" Eric muttered.

"After what he did?" Grell snapped. "How are we still talking about him like he's coming home? He tried to kill the Undertaker. Do you guys really think we can save him?"

"Why are you so determined that we can't?" Alan said. "We can't just stop believing him, right?"

"Of course not," Eric said.

William frowned. There was something pained in Eric's voice. Probably from finding out about the chance the Thorns could return. Of course, Ronald and Alan were the most important people in Eric's life. Now there was the chance he could lose them both. No wonder he was suffering. He sighed and turned away, getting dressed quickly before heading out to the hospital wing with the others on his heels looking very confused.

The Undertaker was sitting up in bed, laughing at how he seemed to creep out the nurses. He grinned and waved as they came in. "How are we doing today, children?"

"We're not children," William said. "We're just younger than you. How are reapers created?"

"That's a secret," he chuckled.

"Are we resurrected human souls or not?" he snapped.

"What's going on, William?" Alan said quietly. "What's the big deal?"

"So far, Dr Burns hasn't successfully managed to cure the hybrids of their human side. Removing the human and demons aspects always results in death. But the humans hang on a little longer and he's managed to keep a few on for days before their injuries overcome them. If we're resurrected human souls, we can let Ronald use that antidote to turn him human then simply turn him into a reaper again."

The Undertaker cackled madly and William stepped back slightly. After ten minutes or so, he calmed slightly and shook his head. "Dear me... that's a big sacrifice to save the man you love from what you perceive to be such a terrible fate as being a hybrid."

"Will is work or not?" Eric snapped.

"Possibly," the Undertaker said, tapping his chin. "Will you kill him or let him grow old and die? Which would be more painful, Mr Spears? Watching him grow as a human, grow weak and frail until his body fails or to driving your scythe through his heart and reaping his soul before its time?"

"Will you just tell us, please?" Alan said quietly.

"In theory it would work," he said. "However, you should be aware that becoming a reaper causes you to forget everything. He won't remember who he is, what he's done. He won't remember any of you. He'll be a newborn all over again. Do you know what that could do to him? If you all try to turn him into the man he was it could drive him away but then you also run the risk that he won't be anything like who he was and you'll no longer be able to reach him."

"I suppose you'd better take out a shot of it each," Dr Burns said from the doorway. "Given that he was a reaper rather than a human he might react different, so get him back to me as soon as possible. I'd give them out to everyone but I doubt those security forces would restrain him if he restricts. They'd probably just kill him. So, be careful and good luck. I get the feeling this is the only way we're going to get him back alive."

They nodded and took a vile each. They had to find Ronald. Dr Burns was right. This could be their only chance to bring him in alive. The option of restarting Ronald's life was an interesting one. Ronald had been through a lot, especially early on. The amount of times he'd wished he could undo all the pain Ronald had been through. This would be the same as doing that. Ronald could start over and wouldn't remember all the suffering he'd been through, all the people who abused his trust and took advantage of him. But, as the Undertaker said, he couldn't rely on Ronald remembering him. There was a chance Ronald they would never be like they were. If Ronald wasn't the boy he was now they might never get back together.

."Are you ok, Eric?" Alan whispered as the wandered out into London. "I know that all this about the Thorns must be hard for you but-"

"It's fine, Alan," Eric said. "We just need to get one with finding Ron. The sooner we can find him the better."

"Eric, we should talk about this," he cried as Eric sped up. "Eric!"

"We can talk about it later," he said.

Alan sighed and ran after him. He always did this. It was like the first time he was told about the Thorns. He pretty much ignored it. He didn't want to think about it or talk about it. And it was so frustrating. Once he'd accepted it he'd be as comforting as he needed him to be. He'd refused to think about the Thorns until he'd been there for one of his attacks. He knew it was important to find Ronald before Lucy's security forces but he'd like a little more support through this.

"Eric, please," he called, running after him, grabbing his hand. He sighed and pulled him to a stop. Struggling to figure out what to say to get Eric's attention and support he blurted out something he knew he shouldn't have. "They're back." Eric turned to stare down at him and Alan bit his lip. He shouldn't have said that, he shouldn't worry Eric like that but he was paying attention again. Eric sighed and hugged him close. "I... I shouldn't have... they're not, but I wish you'd help me. I'm scared, Eric, but you're so focused on Ronald..."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," he whispered, stroking his hair. "I just wanted to bring Ronald home safe. I can't think about everything at once. I'm sorry you felt like I was ignoring you."

"I didn't _feel_ like you were ignoring it," he snapped. "You _were_ ignoring it. Eric, please, just make me feel safe like you used to."

"Of course." He sighed and rested his head on Alan's. "Even if the Thorns are back, I'll kill another thousand people to push back the symptoms for another eight years. I'll do whatever it takes, sweetheart."

Alan nodded. Eric would do anything to keep him safe, that was the best thing about him. He loved how much Eric looked after him. At least now they'd sorted that out they could work on Ronald again. They needed to protect Ronald now. He'd feel better if Ronald was there to help him too. Although, the idea of Ronald restarting his life was strange.

"What do you think about turning Ronald human then?" he said, taking Eric's hand and walking slowly through the streets. "What are we supposed to think about that?"

"We'll just have to help him through," Eric replied. "It won't be too hard. We'll just have to introduce ourselves and help him remember. It won't be easy, we'll have to take it slow and work with him. But he won't be so scared. Think about what a great opportunity this is for him. He won't remember his Richard's abuse in the academy. Or how everyone used to abuse him. Or the demon attack or what Marcus did to him. Not even this. He'll be free to start again."

"But should we really be the ones making this decision. Shouldn't we let Ronald think about this? He should be allowed to make the decision on his own, with doctors and William. We shouldn't force it on him."

"I know this is hard, but it's for the best," he whispered. "We need to help him and if this doesn't work and he escapes we'd have to pull him back and lock him up. I don't want to see him locked up in jail. We need to protect him from that."

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><p>Ronald was riding slowly down one of the smaller roads out of London. It was muddy from the recent downpours and every now and again the big black horse, which Ronald had named Dusky since he didn't know the actual name, slipped and stumbled every now and again but didn't show any signs that he would fall over or get stuck. Reapers were all taught how to ride to an acceptable level. Usually, their work areas were small and they could use a porthole onto their area and walk everywhere else. Still, they liked to be trained just in case. You never knew what situation you'd end up in. Ronald was certainly glad of the training now. He would have taken one of the main roads out but reapers often travelled them for the people who died on their way in or out.<p>

Ronald sighed as they walked on. He glanced up into the early morning light as he patted Dusky's neck, wondering if William had got the key off Grim yet. The thought made him smile. Well, he shouldn't have left him locked up like that.

There was someone on the side of the road. He slowed slightly and before realising it was Lucifer and pushing Dusky on. He'd told the other hybrids not to leave their safe home and to stay away from London. They were supposed to just stay hidden and safe. That meant ignoring the demons as well.

Suddenly Lucifer caught Dusky's reins and pulled him to a stop. Dusky swung around and Ronald glared down at him. "What?"

"Now now, Ronald," he said, leading Dusky over the side of the road. The grassy verge was less muddy and Lucifer tied up his reins pulled Ronald from the saddle, wrapping his arms around his waist and pulling him close. "Where did you wander off last night?"

"I did what you wanted," Ronald hissed pushing him away. Lucifer laughed and pulled him back. "Get off. What do you want from me?"

Laughing darkly, Lucifer leant down and captured his lips roughly. Ronald growled and jerked back. "What the hell are you doing? I told you the other day. I'm not interested."

"Not yet," Lucifer laughed, tracing patterns over Ronald's back making his shiver gently. "It's a matter of time, Ronald."

"I'm with William."

"He wants to kill you, Ronald." He muzzled against him and Ronald tilted his head slightly. "He wants to kill you and he won't make you happy. It's only a matter of time before you give in. You're already falling. It's alright. Everyone ends up mind in the end."

Ronald snarled, his eyes flashing red, and he shoved Lucifer back roughly. He undid the reins and swung up into the saddle once more, pushing Dusky up into a steady canter until he was sure they were a decent distance away before slowly to a walk again. He didn't want to push Dusky too far. He wasn't going to get far if Dusky tripped and broke his leg. Ronald sighed and closed his eyes, letting out the rains so Dusky could stretch out as he walked, holding the reins with one hand. He sighed and ran his fingers over the skull broach Michelle had given him. William had given it to her. He'd never got any kind of pretty trinket from William. He'd seen Michelle wearing it every day when she was working. He'd heard she'd seen something like it in a shop one day and William had that one hand made for her birthday. He smiled.

Even if he'd never got trinkets he knew William loved him and still did. William had his death scythes made for him and brought him the most amazing gifts. Ronald could never afford to give him expensive gifts or presents for his birthday. He tried but it wasn't easy. But William never seemed to bother. He didn't care. He patted Dusky's neck again and the horse snorted.

"It's ok, we just need to stay out of London for a while so they can't kill me," he murmured. "And to stay away from Lucifer. He only wants me because I said no, you know. I hate guys like that. He'll probably kill me the second I give in." Dusky snorted and tossed his head, making Ronald gin. "I know. Still, if I keep playing with him, he might just let his guard down long enough to make a mistake. Then maybe I can focus on saving everyone then figure out how to stop being a demon thing and go home." Dusky tossed his head again and jogged a little before slowing again. "Yeah, sounds so simple, doesn't it? And I've only got so much money. We need to avoid reapers, find a place to sleep, save the world. The usual stuff."

He laughed and Dusky seemed to sight. There was movement up ahead and he picked up the reins again. Dusky raised his head, ears pricked and flicking around as he listened and they stopped dead. There were footsteps moving across the mud and pebbles. Ronald frowned as he caught the glint of the sun off glasses. Reapers?

Turning Dusky, he pushed up the grassy verge and into the thicket, jumping a small log that wasn't much of a challenge and required little more than a high step rather than a proper jump, and on into the woods. As long as he kept the road within sight, he hoped he wouldn't get too lost. Not that he was really going anywhere, he was following the road and trying to just get away for now.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N****:**Ronnie is having bad dreams again. Poor darling. His dreams aren't helping him feel well. Anyway, on with it. Thank you for your reviews and please keep them coming.

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><p>Ronald sighed, quietly riding through the forest. He'd lost sight of the road and got spun around. He'd tried to find his way back, following the hoof prints but the leaves had already blown over them and the mud had shifted. It was already getting dark. He was completely lost. Sighing, he patted Dusky's neck as they continued on. It was getting cold too. He needed to find somewhere to stay for the night. He didn't mind where as long as it was kind of sheltered and there was somewhere to let Dusky rest.<p>

There was light up ahead and he went towards it. It was the only light in this stupid forest. He'd never been afraid of much but this wood was starting to feel claustrophobic and kind of spooky. Ronald sighed and closed his eyes. He sighed as a house came into view. He swung out of Dusky's saddle and wandered around to the stable block. The entire estate looked abandoned but in decent condition. Ronald found a stable and put Dusky inside, quickly taking off his tack and tracking down something for him to eat and drink before heading inside.

The huge country house was dusty and dark. Ronald frowned and glanced around. He might be able to find some things to take with him. He hadn't really taken much time to pack before leaving but it was best to keep it light. Upstairs there were a few bedrooms and Ronald took a few moments to find the one that looked the least cold and damp before he began searching out blankets and anything else to keep him warm. Once he'd found some he returned to the bedroom. He slipped off his tie, waistcoat and shoes and created something between a nest and a bed. Curling up as best he could to get warm, he wrapped the covers around him tightly, wishing he'd stayed with William but he couldn't be with him. He needed to stay at a safe distance. Ronald sighed and closed his eyes, trying to sleep.

"Wake up, Knox." The familiar chilling voice sent shivers through him. He groaned and opened his eyes to see the familiar strawberry blonde above him. "Good boy." He struggled to kick and squirm but his body wouldn't respond. It was all horrifyingly familiar. "Now now, Knox, don't look so distressed. We both know you enjoy it really." He pulled open Ronald's belt and leant down to kiss his neck, biting roughly. "You always were so easy."

Finally his body responded and he managed to kick him off. It wasn't possible. It shouldn't have been possible. Marcus was dead, it had to be a dream, but it felt so real. He scrambled up from the bed, running as fast as he could from the bedroom but the ground suddenly dropped off and he fell into a deep, dark abyss, screaming for his life until he finally hit the ground with the thump to see Eric glaring down at him.

"You're late," Eric said. Ronald frowned. Why did Eric have on a pair of bunny ears? "The Queen will have your head. Come on, Alice."

He grabbed Ronald's hand a pulled him up. Alice. He glanced down at himself to realise he was back in that dress Grell had brought him. Alice in Wonderland. He was Alice and Eric seemed to be the White Rabbit. Great.

He was thrown through a door and into a pool of freezing water. Ronald struggled to get up to the surface but kept sinking lower. As he started to get back up to the surface, something wrapped around his limbs dragging him further down. Thorns. He hit the bottom of the pool and Alan smiled down at him. Wasn't this about the point in the book where there was a pool of tears? Alan... He reached up from Alan's hand but the ground suddenly gave way again and he fell through the floor, hanging by the thorns as the water rushed over him. Ronald kicked and squirmed and gasped for breath but the thorns just cut into his skin until all the water had drained away and he could see a forest beneath him. Alan smiled and sat on the side of the hole, smiling down at him. Ronald struggled to reach for his hand but Alan smiled and the thorns suddenly writhed into his wrists, making his chest burn and seethe as he coughed and wheezed.

After a few moments of watching him in writhing in agony with that strangely serene smile, a few tears started to slip down Alan's cheeks and he touched the thorny vines, letting them loosen their grip on Ronald and receding back into Alan's body. For the first time, Ronald noticed he had mouse ears with thorns woven through them.

Ronald screamed as the vines finally released him and the floor he'd fallen through patched itself up. The last thing he saw as he fell was Alan smiling as his cried, the thorns wrapping around him again. Ronald wanted to grab him in and hold him close then realised he was plunging through the air towards the forest below. He tumbled through the trees and expected to hit the ground hard but caught by a pair of hands. Ronald cracked his eyes open to see Eric gazing down at him. After a moment he smirked and dropped him the last few feet to the ground. He landed on his backside with a dull thud. Ronald stared up at him and Eric smiled slight then pulled him to his feet, heading off into the forest down the path.

"Come on, Alice," he called. "Shouldn't you be used to chasing me by now?"

Ronald ran after him quickly into the tree line. He could only assume the dream would end when he got to the end of the story. So he had to follow the White Rabbit. He lost Eric quickly but carried on. He knew what was coming, he'd read Alice through hundreds of times. That was probably why he was such in a dream version of it.

"You chase after him not because you desire him, but because you're curious, Alice." He turned to see Dr Green sitting on a mushroom, smiling down at him with a pipe in his hand. The Caterpillar, Ronald assumed. "Curiosity killed the cat, Miss Alice. Haven't you already chased him far enough? You've already gone so far you can't turn back from the darkness and drink tea in the light."

"Alice." Eric was calling to him from the darkening forest. "Alice, you're going to be late."

Ronald ran tonight the forest down the path, following Eric's voice. The road twisted at turned and, to Ronald's surprise, was lined with scatted items from his past, things he barely remembered and blurred into the background. He ran on through the forest until he found a clearing with a long table. He smiled. The mad tea party. He ran over but was stopped by Grell sitting on the fence, wearing the Cheshire Cat outfit he always wore for the Christmas party.

"Where are you running to, Alice?" he laughed.

"To the tea party," Ronald replied. He could see a pair at the table, they looked like William and the Undertaker. "I want to have tea."

"You shouldn't," Grell said, wagging a finger at him and the tip of his tail. "They're both a little mad, you see."

"The Hatter and the March Hare, I'm aware they're mad," he said.

"Since they lost their loved ones, leaving them lost. Since they wouldn't move on, Time punished them by leaving them locked in tea time forever."

"That wasn't in the book. What are my dreams doing? They were trapped in tea time because they murdered the time of a song at the Queen's celebration."

Grell sighed and shook his head, leaning back on the fence. "Love is so difficult but he was so tasty." Ronald frowned and Grell grinned, rolling over and playing with his tail. "The Dormouse, the poor sleepy Dormouse. He was delicious but they didn't like it. I'm not allowed over the fence anymore. You look like him."

Ronald pushed Grell aside and vaulted the fence, striding over to the table.

* * *

><p>"What's the point of this, Lucifer?" Julian said quietly.<p>

Lucifer smirked watching Ronald tossing and turning in his sleep. There was a point to it, of course there was. Reapers were smart little creatures. When captured, they were trained simply give in and do what was expected of them. Whatever it took to survive until they were rescued. They were like that. So, if Ronald had just played dumb and acted how he was expected to? That would mean they were telling him their plans, even though he could be just buying time until it was safe to run back to the others. He needed to have Ronald completely broken down and pliant before he let him get too close.

"Just trust me," Lucifer replied. "My botanists have been working on this little beauty for a long time, experimenting on humans. It causes such terrifying, vivid dreams that if they don't wake up they died of fear induced heart attacks or lash out at whoever wakes them up. I would assume it works in at least a similar way on a reaper or hybrid."

"You have botanists?" Julian said.

"Plants are remarkable things," he laughed. "Once you're done here, get on with getting rid of Daniel. I don't trust him." He smiled and ran his hand through Ronald's damp hair. "It would be so easy to simply take him against his will, like he's been taken before."

"Why don't you?"

He smiled and ran his fingers along Ronald's cheek. "There would be no fun in resorting to something like that. If I had to force my desires on him, I'd have proven nothing escept that I was stronger than him. There's no skill in it. There's no point wining a battle that has no competition. Still, I knew he wouldn't be able to resist getting some rest. Rather cute when he's all curled up in his little nest, isn't he?"

"I suppose."

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><p>William snatched out the chair Ronald was about to sit on from under him. He hit the ground with thump and stared up at them. William, the March Hare, was glaring down at him. After a few moments, the Undertaker chuckled and pushed over another chair. Ronald sat slowly and William poured him a tea, the Undertaker quickly heaping sugar into it. Frowning slightly, he took a sip, then set it back down politely, noticing the chocolate tarts in the middle of the table. He reached for it quickly but William slapped his hand away. The firm glare he gave him as he pulled back his hand made him shiver.<p>

"_Those_ are for the Dormouse."

The Undertaker nodded, chuckling darkly. "He loves chocolate. Stories of chocolate wells, and chocolate tarts. He'll come back soon. You look like him."

"Wasn't it treacle?" Ronald said.

"My Dormouse," William said, picking up a chocolate truffle. "Likes chocolate." He pressed it gently to Ronald's lips and the blonde parted his lips, taking it, and William's fingers, into his mouth. His eyes closed slightly and he hummed. "My Dormouse likes to do that too."

Ronald sighed as William drew his fingers away, allowing him to much happily on the chocolate. "I'm sorry, but the Cheshire Cat told m-"

"You shouldn't listen to the Cat," he snapped. "After what he did to my Dormouse he is not allowed back over the fence and his words can't be trusted."

"It wasn't entirely his fault," the Undertaker chuckled. "But you're so quick to blame him."

"He's the predator."

"Come on, Alice," Eric called, moving along the other side of the fence. "We'll be late."

Ronald stood from his chair, going to run after Eric but William caught his hand and the Undertaker laughed. "You'd follow the White Rabbit into the darkness, Alice? Rather than stay here and have tea with the March Hare and myself?"

"Stay and drink tea in the light, Alice," William said.

"But I have to finish the story to wake up," Ronald argued.

"Then don't wake up," he said, pushing him over the table and kissing his neck. Ronald squirmed and moaned softly. "Stay here with me, Alice. I'll make sure you don't regret it."

"No, I have to go."

William pulled him back off the table and into the chair, the wood wrapping around him to hold him in place as he squirmed. With a soft smirk, William leant over him in an eerily similar way to how Ronald had leant over him when he was held captive. He caught Ronald's lips and pressed gently against him.

"No," Ronald panted. "I have to go. Please let me go." Part of the chair wrapped around his throat and he gasped and struggled violently but to end. "Please."

"Stay with me," William whispered, sliding his hand up Ronald's thigh, slipping up his skirt as he struggled. "It's so easy. Why do you have to do everything the hard way?"

Suddenly Eric appeared out of nowhere, knocking William and the Undertaker away, his scythe slicing through the chair. Ronald was completely amazed when Eric swept him up and darted away, holding him close to his chest. Not sure what else to do, he wrapped his arms around his neck and let him carry him away from the tea party.

"We're going to be late if you keep being so stupid."

He set Ronald down on the path through the forest before continuing on. The road continued on into the dark, spooky forest but that was where Eric was going so he had to follow. He sighed, realising he was following Eric further into the darkness. Just like Eric had trusted Michelle and followed her into the shadowy, dark lifestyle to save Alan, now he was following in his footsteps, literally and in his dreams. He was going to stride blindly into demonic territory to save the people he loved. To save William. He could lose his sanity, his loved ones, even his life or freedom but he didn't care if it meant he could save them.

"Do you know what the cloaks of living shadows and blood humans claim to see are?" Eric said quietly.

"No," Ronald whispered. "What are they?"

"The shadows of every soul you've reaped," he replied. "It's like a record of what you've done. Imagine that. A reflection of every soul you've taken, every life you've ended, hanging off you, showing the humans at the last moment what they're about to fall prey to."

"Makes you feel kind of guilty," Ronald breathed. Eric nodded. "I need to find the Queen to wake up, don't I?"

Eric vanished into shadows and Ronald frowned, trying to find where the path had gone. Then he realised there was a fork in the road. Eric had gone straight and vanished, but he didn't know which way to go. He'd get lost off the path. Neither way seemed to be very inviting. Two figures stepped out into the shadows. Lucifer and Daniel. He frowned as they each stepped up to a path. He supposed he had to choose a path.

"Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-di?" he said, folding his arms. "You two weren't even in the Wonderland. You were in Through the Looking Glass. For all of five minutes."

"Choose a path, Alice," they said. "Choose who to side with."

Ronald frowned. Follow Lucifer and get certain power so no one could touch him or follow Daniel and struggle through for an uncertain, but definitely better outcome. He glanced around until he noticed the familiar glint of green eyes and red hair and a path hidden beneath the leaves. He ran for that path, plunging into the darkness.

The forest quickly became thicker, darker and more rugged. He couldn't find the path anymore. There were signs on the trees around him, but none were useful. They actually seemed like the collection papers from the death lists. He frowned and stepped closer to one. A horrific sense of dread washed over him as he realised he'd reaped that soul last year. There was movement in the shadows behind him. Ronald whipped around and a screaming, shadowy spirit passed through him like a gale, knocking him to the ground. When he turned, an elderly woman was glaring down at him.

"I just wanted to see my first grandchild," she snapped. "You took that from me."

"You murdered me," a young man hissed. "You killed me. I was about to get married."

"You don't deserve to be loved," a woman snapped. "You're not worth it."

"You don't even deserve life," a child said.

The shadows moved around him, tugging his arms back, tipping his head up and filling his mouth and lungs as he screamed and struggled to breathe. He was going to die. He couldn't breathe. He was going to die!

"Ronnie!" Ronald's wrists were finally free and he grabbed his knives, driving them up into the dark weight on his chest. "Ron-"

The weight went dead and something warm and sticky leaked onto his chest as he panted. He wasn't dreaming. He was in bed, awake. His eyes widened. He'd just killed someone. If he wasn't dreaming, he'd killed someone. He bolted out of bed, grabbing his small bag and pulling out a clean shirt, tugging it on and redressing as quickly as he could, trying to stop his hands shaking. Finally, once he'd calmed down enough, he stepped over to the bed and rolled the body over.

Madeline.

He'd killed Madeline. Going numb, he grabbed a few sheets that hadn't been covered in blood yet, rolled them up and shoved them in his bag before lying on of the blankets over Madeline's body. He couldn't believe he'd killed her. He didn't feel well. His entire body was shaking and sweating. How had he killed and innocent child just because of a nightmare? There wasn't time to be thinking about that now though. He had to get out of there.

Running down to the stables, gathering a few things on the way, Ronald found Dusky's tack. Within fifteen minutes he was springing up into the saddle, wrapping a coat that was far too big around him with a soft scarf, urging Dusky forwards despite how tired they both were. How had Madeline even been there? He'd been told she'd been killed when the hybrids captured him the first time. Why would they lie to him?

Ronald closed his eyes and wiped away a few tears. He tried to protect her. What had she even been doing there? He glanced back at the house but there was nothing. Just a clearing in the woods. Dusky snorted and stamped uneasily. Ronald was inclined to agree with Dusky's complaints and turned them to get out of there.

Lucifer was standing in the shadows just ahead and he growled. "Feeling alright, Ronald? You look a bit flushed."

Ronald pushed on, ignoring Lucifer as best he could. The last thing he needed right now was Lucifer.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N:** Why, what's this? A second update? No, you've not started seeing things, it really is asecond update. Yays, anyway I'll keep it short. Thanks for the reviews, please keep them coming.

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><p>"Will," Grell hissed, grabbing William's arm. "Look."<p>

William turned slightly as Grell grabbed his hand. Ronald was leaning against a wall with the Undertaker's stolen horse gazing peacefully at his side and the dark haired demon William could only assume was Lucifer. He frowned, his heart wrenching. His Ronald was dealing with these demons. Had they really lost him? Only two days ago Ronald had been in his arms, in his bed, completely lucid and almost normal. What had happened to him? Why had he turned on them so suddenly? Was it their fault? Had they done something to make him turn to the demons?

"You look tired," Lucifer said quietly. "Didn't sleep well last night?"

"Weird dreams," Ronald muttered. "Nightmares."

"Poor dear," he said, stroking Ronald's cheek. Ronald turned away slightly but took Lucifer's hand, resting it at his side. "Ronald, you know if you want to talk about it-"

"I don't," he said.

William clenched his fists and leant against the tree they were hiding behind. Why was Ronald letting him touch him like that? What was wrong? Lucifer sighed and ran a hand through Ronald's hair, tilting his head up and kissing his lips gentle. It was almost too much for William. However, Ronald pushed Lucifer back, easing the pain in William's chest. He glanced at Grell to see him glaring over as well. They both know they had to wait. If they could find out more about what was going on, maybe they could help him.

"I've told you about that," Ronald snapped.

"I know," Lucifer murmured, leaning a little closer, making Ronald blush and William almost growled. "But you don't mean it, do you, Ronald?" Ronald pushed him again and Lucifer kissed his hand. "Why do you keep resisting?"

"I've got better things to be thinking about," he said.

"Ronald," he said, tilting his head so their lips were only a hair apart. "Have you thought about my offer of an alliance yet? They've already taken a dozen hybrids for their experiments. You should stop living in this fantasy world of yours believing that they're going to save you. You know they're going to kill you if they get you. Especially once they find out you've killed."

Ronald had killed someone? The blonde pushed Lucifer away and turned to the horse. "We're not talking about this." He went to the swing up into the saddle but Lucifer caught his wrist. "What?"

"Come to Hell with me, let's talk."

"No way."

"Come on. We'll talk about it somewhere more comfortable. You must be hungry by now."

Ronald frowned and gazed up at him for a moment. Like he was actually considering it? William wanted run over and pull him away but it wouldn't do any good. Lucifer was a demon known to kill reapers for fun and if he had something over Ronald he could get hurt too. Why was this so hard? Why couldn't it be someone else who had to deal with all this? Why did it have to be Ronald?

"Alright, but no funny stuff."

"But of course."

He opened a porthole and offered Ronald his hand. Thankfully, instead of taking it, Ronald pushed him aside and strode through with Lucifer following behind him. William stepped out from the tree line and put his foot through the porthole as Grell followed.

"What are you going to do, Will?" Grell said.

"We're going after him," William replied. "Stay here with the horse. If he comes back, capture him. I mean it, Sutcliff. _Capture_ him and take him to the safe house, ok. Don't dare kill him."

"Alright, Will, don't get hurt though. And if any demon comes out, I'll kill it."

"That's alright. As long as it's not Ronald."

"Good luck."

William stepped into the porthole. On the other side were dark marble halls, all almost completely empty. Ronald's white oxfords, even if they were a little muddy, stuck out against the dark surrounding and he just about caught sight of him going around a corner. Running after them, he stopped just around the corner to see Lucifer pulling Ronald into another kiss only to be pushed away again. At least he was resisting that. Ronald's eyes widened slightly and he smiled, pressing his fingers to Lucifer's lips. That was when he was most dangerous, people underestimated him.

"You think being some demon legend makes you all that?" Ronald murmured. "I'm not impressed. Keep trying. I thought we were here to talk about work, not pleasure."

"I try to mix the two as much as possible."

"Well, I don't."

"Fine, fine," Lucifer said, opening a door. "Wait here, I'll get you something to eat."

"Not a soul," Ronald called as Lucifer left.

The second he was out of sight, William stepped around the corner and into the room. Ronald was sitting lazily on a bed watching the door and sat up instantly when William came in. Shutting the door quietly behind him he sat on the bed, cupping Ronald's cheeks and pulling him forwards into a gentle kiss. His Ronald. How could he let that disgusting demon touch him like that? Ronald pushed him away slightly and stared up at him.

"What are you doing here?" he said, his hands trembling against his arms. What was wrong with him? Why wasn't he glad he was here? "We have got time for games. You shouldn't be here."

"Ronald? What's wrong with you? You just vanished and left me chained up like that," William said. "Ronald. Why are you hanging around with Lucifer? Letting him put his hands on you like that? Come home with me. Now."

"No," Ronald said, shaking his head quickly. "No, I can't."

"I won't let anything happen to you. I won't let them hurt you. Come on. Before he gets back."

"No. You go, I'm staying here."

William frowned and gazed down at him. How could Ronald want to stay with Lucifer and the demons rather than come home to safety with him? Why wouldn't he let him help him? What was going on? He sighed and ran his hand through Ronald's hair.

"You have to tell me what's happening," William said. Ronald shook his head. "Ronald, look at this from my point of view for a moment. You've run off, turned on us, working with demons and Lucifer is all over you. Tell me it's not what it looks like."

"It- it's not," Ronald stammered, shaking his head. "No. I'm not cheating on you."

"You see how it looks though," he replied. "Now, if there's a reason, _please_, tell me. Whatever's going on, I'll support whatever you have to do as long as there's a reason for it."

"It's just something I need to do."

"Ronald. If you can't give me a reason why you're letting some _demon _grope you and kiss you then give me a reason why I should put up with that."

Ronald sighed and nodded. At least he'd managed to reach him. It wasn't unreasonable, was it? He needed to at least know that he hadn't completely lost Ronald to the demons. Slowly wrapping his arms around him, he pulled him into his lap, hugging him tightly as he waited for Ronald's answer. He didn't want to leave Ronald, breaking up with him and finally letting him go would break his heart, but he wasn't going to put up with Ronald cheating on him. If there was a good reason, that was fine, but he needed an answer.

"The more I push him away the more he wants me. If I outright said no, and completely ignored him he'd kill me and get someone else who'd do what he said," Ronald whispered. "But as long as I keep stringing him along he'll start getting more desperate and frustrated and make mistakes and sooner or later he'll slip up."

William nodded slowly. That went some way to explaining it. "Explain from the start, Ronald. Quickly."

"Alright," Ronald whispered. "After what happened at the Undertaker's, Daniel offered me a chance to save everyone and prove I was stronger. I went with him and we went to Michelle's. He explained that he'd trade me over to the hybrids and they would quickly make me their leader because I know lots of reaper secrets. So, to make it easier, he turned me into a hybrid there, then gave me to them and I just had a fever and had to act brainwashed-"

"You're not?" William said. He'd done all this in of his own free will? "Ronald, that is the only reason anyone's given you the benefit of the doubt. If people find out you've known what you were doing this entire time-"

"I know," he said quickly. "That's why I couldn't tell anyone."

"You told Grell you didn't want to fight us and just wanted to protect the hybrids, isn't that' why you warned him about the demon attacks coming."

"Yes, and I warned him not to tell you." He sighed and closed his eyes, snuggling into William's shoulder. "Ok, umm, I acted brainwashed so I could get rid of Ian and hopefully stop the hybrids going to war against the reapers. You guys turned up and made that very easy, thank you."

"You're telling me getting tied up was part of the plan?"

"Brainwashed or not, do you honestly think I'm stupid enough to let a desperate to escape, scared for his life reaper, no matter how hot he is, chain me to a bed and gag me if I hadn't wanted to let him escape? Not to mention, if I'd wanted to, I totally could have kicked you hard enough to stop you dead. The point is, you escape, Ian was dead, the hybrids gave up on wanting war unless you guys hit first. Great job being peaceful, by the way. No, I just need to stop the demons killing you guys and unfortunately this is going to involve getting Lucifer to trust me enough to stand down or I'm going to have to kill him but if you guys didn't buy it you'd act differently and he wouldn't buy it and he'd kill me. I needed him to trust me. That's why I had to attack the Undertaker. The demons aren't aware that their swords don't always kill us. They heal so quickly they haven't bothered with medicine so they haven't realised our doctors are so good, that's why I put the sword in his shoulder rather than chest. And you can't tell anyone."

William nodded quickly. "What about when Lucifer said you killed someone?"

"Well..." He sighed and closed his eyes, trembling slightly. "I was drugged or something, I was having these really horrifying dreams, and Maddie woke me up. I wasn't thinking straight. I was still panicking. I killed her."

Sighing silently, William squeezed his arms around him as Ronald whimpered and gripped his shirt tightly. It all made sense now. Why he'd pushed them away, why he hadn't asked for help. His poor Ronald, taking on the burden all alone. He sighed and kissed the top of his head, slowly moving to his ear and down his jaw to his lips. Ronald had a few tears slipping down his cheeks. The little blonde whimpered and moan as William pressed him slowly back to the bed. Ronald tangled his fingers into his hair as William slid his hand up under his shirt, tracing the tone muscles under his soft skin. The most important thing in his world was finally in his arms again. He wouldn't let Ronald fall into darkness, he'd do everything he could to keep him his. Their bodies pressed against each other with a delicious friction. Ronald moaned loudly into his mouth, arching slightly as William teased him.

"Ronald," Lucifer said. William sat back and glared over, gently, and in a way that was very obvious to Lucifer, taking Ronald's hand. He slid his fingers between the blonde's, squeezing firmly. "My my, it seems my honey trap caught a fly."

Ronald's gaze flickered between them and William frowned, gazing down at Ronald. Lucifer needed to believe Ronald was trustworthy and believable he was loyal and brainwashed against them. He had to trust him. He had to play along.

"What do you want from him?" William snapped. "Why would you keep him captive, brainwash him? What's the point of all this?"

"Dear me, Mr Spears," Lucifer chuckled. "You seem to misunderstand just what's going on here. He's not being held captive." He dashed forwards, grabbed Ronald and tugging him away, holding him firmly around his shoulders and waist, stroking his hip teasingly as William glared over. "And I didn't _brainwash_ him. That sounds so underhanded. I merely showed him the error of his way, how underrated and abused he was with you. Isn't that right, Ronald?"

Ronald nodded slightly, locking his gaze with William's as Lucifer kissed his cheek. "You just proved you only want me for sex. You're using me."

"No," William said, getting up and gripping Ronald's wrist to pull him forwards into his arms. "Ronald is _mine_." Lucifer was pressed against Ronald a moment later, trapping him between the two taller immortals helplessly. "Keep your hands off."

"Please?" Lucifer laughed, leaning down to kiss Ronald's neck, making him gasp and tilt his head back, and making William absolutely furious. He didn't let it show though. Lucifer glanced up at him with a soft smirk. "You couldn't take him from me if you tried, Spears. Besides, he doesn't want to go with you, do you?" Ronald mewled softly as Lucifer gave a soft nip. "I think that's him saying he wants to sta."

"I'm taking him home with me," he said. "Before you cause him more harm."

"I'm nice, I'll let you go," he snapped, opening a porthole just outside the door. "But you're not taking him anywhere. Now get out." William growled and tried to pull Ronald away but the blonde pressed back against Lucifer. "I think he wants to stay rather than go back with such a cruel, cold, heartless lover."

"Ronald..."

Finally, he stepped away, knowing he couldn't risk ruining this for Ronald, and strode out. He closed the door just in time to see Lucifer pulling Ronald back to the bed. Ronald wouldn't let him go that far, would he? He was sure Ronald would push him off. He had to. He hoped and prayed Ronald would pull through this ok. He needed to focus on what he had to do when he finally got Ronald home.

On the other side of the porthole, Grell was feeding the stolen horse grass from the verge, which he seemed to appreciate it very much. He could just give Ronald the antidote Dr Burns had already created. It would clear him of all charges, but there had to be a better way. Ronald wasn't really a danger to anyone. Maybe he could be released into the Undertakers custody or something similar. Obviously if he was left as a hybrid he wouldn't be allowed to continue as an active reaper but that didn't mean he had to lose him, did it?

"We need to get to work, Sutcliff," he said, striding away, lost in his thoughts. "We don't want to be late."

* * *

><p>Ronald shoved Lucifer off and turned away. "What's wrong now? He left you here, Ronald? Haven't you figured it out? It he loved you, he'd have fought for you."<p>

"I know," Ronald said quietly, pushing him away slightly. "But that doesn't mean I'm getting straight into bed with you. I have more self respect than that. I'm insulted you think so little of me."

"Of course not, Ronald," Lucifer said quickly, catching his hand. "Of course not. Now, we were going to talk about working together to get rid of those reapers."

"Maybe some other time," he said, getting up and striding out. "You should learn how to treat a guy to make him feel special. You'll get nowhere with me if you keep being so rude."

Lucifer ran after him and caught him around the waist, drawing him back. "Don't be so hasty, Ronald. We can talk about this."

"Another time."

He stepped through the porthole to where Dusky was still grazing happily. He swung up into the saddle quickly and pushed on down the path. He thought Lucifer bought it, but he couldn't be sure. Whatever happened, now William knew everything he could only hope things would carry on as planned and maybe William could find a way to save him from death at the end of it all. Sill Dusky surged on at his command, quickly carrying him further and further from London to safer territory.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N:** Haha, wrote this while our cat was sitting showing off her latest mouse. So yes, Eric and Alan are back, in hospital. And Will and Ron and Grell are being them. Yays. So, thank you for the reviews and please keep them coming.

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><p>Eric sighed, rubbing Alan's back as he coughed, slowly wrapping the blankets around him. He was struggling to breathe and shaking violently, tears slipping down his cheeks. He'd said it wasn't so bad, like when the Thorns had first started, but that didn't make Eric feel any better. He wanted to go out to look for Ronald but Alan was far more important. He'd heard William and Grell had seen Ronald early the morning before with Lucifer. He'd love to be out trying to save Ronald from himself instead of sitting in the hospital trying to comfort a sick Alan but in an ideal world Alan wouldn't be sick and Ronald wouldn't be a demon hybrid.<p>

Alan was gasping for air as he grabbed Eric's hand. Just as Eric was squeezing back, the door opened and Dr Burns stepped in with a clipboard. He smiled and took out a bottle from his pocket, pouring out a two spoonfuls and helping Alan swallow them. Within a few minutes, Alan's breathing became easier and his coughing subsided. Alan smiled slightly.

"Thank you." His voice was a little hoarse but he sounded better. Dr Burns smiled and nodded. "Any news?"

He nodded again. "Not particularly good though, I'm afraid."

"The Thorns? At least then we know what we're dealing with," Eric said.

"Not directly, no," Dr Burns said. Alan frowned and glanced up at him. "As you know, the Thorns did a lot of damage that won't ever heal fully. It makes you susceptible certain illness and complications. It's not good but it's not untreatable."

"So, not the Thorns?" Alan said.

"No."

Eric grinned and hugged Alan tightly, squeezing him lovingly. He was ok. He was going to be alright. Cupping Alan's cheek, Eric pulled him up and kissed him gently. Dr Burns laughed softly and Alan pushed Eric off.

"So, what is it?" Alan said quietly.

"A mild chest infection, nothing more," Dr Burns replied. "Very treatable. You should be back to work in a few days. You've just been pushing yourself far too hard searching for Mr Knox."

"But we have to find him," he argued. "He'll be killed if we don't."

"And I, as a doctor, would like to worry more about the fact the fact that my patient could very well do himself great injury if he refused to stay in bed. Mr Spears and Mr Sutcliff are out looking for him and Mr Knox isn't sick. I'll leave you two to it."

"Thanks," Eric said quietly.

The second he was out the door, Eric pulled Alan up into another, more purposeful kiss, his hands sliding down to his slim, delicate hips, lifting him gently up onto his lap, still wrapped up in the blankets. Alan reached up into his shoulders, gripping his collar tightly before catching himself and pushing him gently back.

"This is a hospital, Eric," he said firmly.

"What, like we've never done it in a hospital before," he laughed. "Sweetheart, you're ok, this deserves a celebration."

Alan sighed in defeat and glared up at him for a moment before pressing against him, capturing his lips as he slid his arms around his neck, tangling them into his hair. Taking it as his cue, Eric snaked his arm around Alan's waist, pulling him closer. It had been too long, he was already getting excited. What with looking for Ronald as long as they could every day and worrying about Alan's illness they hadn't got much time together.

To his surprise, Alan moved his kisses gently down his neck, slipping open his shirt and continuing lower to make Eric gasp and grip his hip tighter. It seemed Alan was as eager as he was. The little brunette slipped his fingers teasingly over his chest and kissing across his collar bone.

"You know," he panted as Alan pulled opened his belt. "I think this is the room we always used to have."

"_I_ always used to have," Alan murmured, leaning back slightly and pulling a draw in the bedside table open and reaching inside. "You were always just an uninvited guest."

"But you loved it."

"I did. I still do." He reached down and wrapped cool, slick finger, with a slightly flowery scent, around him, stroking and teasing, making him hiss in pleasure. "I still remember how gentle you were with me the first time you knew I was sick." Eric grunted and leant his head back against the cool wall. "You're so stiff, love. All worked up. I suppose you've been stressed recently. No wonder you're so tense."

"You're such a tease," Eric groaned. "Everyone thinks you're such an innocent, weak little kid." Alan giggled and nipped at his skin as Eric gripped his hip tighter. "I know better. You're a manipulative little wolf in sheep's clothing. You act all sweet and promise me nice things just to get me to do what you want."

"I've got you wrapped around my little finger, love," Alan murmured, sitting back and slipping off his trousers and underwear just enough to be practical, keeping the blankets wrapped safely around them for modesty. They were in a very public place after all. "You're completely at my beck and call, huh?"

He shifted slightly and Eric pulled him up closer, rubbing against his entrance making his mewl sweetly. "You keep telling yourself that, sweetheart."

Alan tossed his head back with a soft moan as he took Eric's length, making the blonde groan and lean heavily against his shoulder, squeezing around his waist. After a few moments Alan fell silent, panting heavily but tangling his fingers into Eric's hair, rocking his hips. Eric hissed and gripped his hip tighter.

There was a quiet knock on the door and Alan pulled the blankets around them as a nurse came in. Alan sighed and smiled, leaning against Eric's shoulder. Maria smiled and came over with couple of bottles.

"Well, aren't you two just adorable?" she said, pouring out a spoonful for him. Alan took the spoon in his mouth and swallowed it with argument. "I remember when you two were younger, and you were in here every few week, Alan. Eric would follow you around like a lost puppy, trying to figure out how what was wrong with you and how to get you to tell him. And we could hear you two making love. I'm glad we're over that phase."

"Of course," Alan murmured, wiggling his hips. Hot shivers bolted through him, but more importantly it made Eric moan and squirm and buck his hips. "All this time and you're still so ticklish, Eric?"

"I'll _tickle_ you back," Eric warned, slipping his hand from Alan's hip.

"You wouldn't dare."

Eric's fingers slid across his skin to his aching length, making him gasp and arch his back. Maria giggled and patted Alan's head, kissing his cheek. "I'll leave you two to rest then."

Eric smiled and as the door shut, thrust up against him and Alan had to bite his shoulder to keep from crying out. Well, they'd grown out of being so obvious at least. Drawing him up into a deep kiss, Eric slid his hands gently over his body. He was so much stronger now. He'd never exactly considered him weaker, just weaker than most reapers and certainly weaker than him. Of course, he made up for it in other ways, but when he'd found out about the Thorns he became so careful. He didn't want to cause him to have another attack. Now, his slim body had firmed out and there were more defined muscles there now.

"Eric," Alan moaned, squirming again and making Eric hiss and pound harder into him.

Alan gave a sharp gasp and leant forwards, gripping his shoulders as came inside him, pushing Alan over the edge. Eric pulled him into another rough kiss to stifle any noise. They were _trying_ not to be so obvious after all. Wrapping his arms tightly around Alan, Eric buried his head in his hair, listening to Alan panting. The smaller reaper sighed contently and Eric smiled.

"I'm so glad you're ok," he whispered.

"Of course you are," Alan said. "I'd be offended if you weren't. After all, I'm the most important thing in the world to you. I can't imagine how bad William must be feeling right now."

"Kind of like you did when you thought I'd gone rouge I suppose," Eric said.

"There was no _thought_ about it, Eric," he laughed. "Just because everyone else believes it was all an elaborate set up by Head Office, doesn't mean I've forgotten when you did. He must be suffering so much. I hope he's looking after himself though."

Eric sighed and nodded, lifting Alan slightly so he could shift his weight. "Grell's determined to look after him though. He'll be ok."

"I think he feels responsible." Eric nodded. It was a shame. "We know he meant that note as a joke but with the mess Ronald's mind was in and the way William reacted I think he's blaming himself for Ronald's condition way too much. It's making him really unstable."

"I think the more important thing to worry about is what we're going to do in the long run," Eric said quietly. "Keeping him locked up and hidden is all very well, but how long do we do that for. I mean, there comes a point where it's just cruel to keep him like that. Caged up like an animal."

"We either keep him locked up and pray Dr Burns finds a better cure," Alan replied. "Or we get him to take the current cure and carry on as planned, since no one seems to think we can leave him like this."

Nodding slowly, Eric squeezed his arms around him. "We're going to lose him, aren't we?"

"Much as I hate it, it's looking that way, yes. It all comes down to him and William in the end though."

* * *

><p>Grim was purring loudly and happily when William unlocked his door. He seemed to be in the bedroom but William could hear him from the kitchen. And his evening feed was down. A small smile came to William's lips as he noticed the shower was running too. Ronald was there. He turned and strode through into the bedroom, eager to get his hands on the blonde again and remind him where he belonged, to push all thoughts of Lucifer from his mind. It had been two full days since their last meeting and he wasn't sure what to expect. Without knowing when he'd next see him, he didn't know if Ronald was injured or was just busy. This was why he liked schedules.<p>

In the bedroom, Grim had wrapped himself in one of Ronald's shirts and curled up to rest. Ronald's clothes were in the washing basket other than that and his shoes next to the door. He slipped off his jacket, waistcoat, tie and shoes and slowly opened the door. His glasses fogged up almost instantly and he quickly wiped them off with his sleeve. Through the misty shower screen he could see the familiar, comforting blonde hair. He stepped in slowly, making sure Ronald heard him shut the door and locking it firmly. Grell was visiting him far too often for his liking.

At the sound of the door, Ronald glanced back over his shoulder. William tilted his head slightly, wishing the room wasn't so steamy so he could see the blonde's body. At least he knew he'd seen him now. He wouldn't want to sneak up on him.

"Are you coming to join me, William?"

That was all the encouragement William needed. He slipped out of the last of his clothes and his glasses. When he stepped into the shower, he was greeted by a soft kiss and Ronald slowly reached up, tangling his fingers into his hair. His hands slipped down to Ronald waist and the blonde moaned softly only to squeal and jerk back when William slid his hands back and squeezed his rear. He laughed and shook his head, those big emerald eyes glittering playfully as he poured some body wash into his hand, slowly rubbing it over William's chest, making him shiver at the chilly, tingling sensation of the orange wash. Having Ronald's hands sliding over him was so reassuring.

"You're a lecherous, dirty old man, Mr Spears," Ronald teased. "Groping at an innocent boy not even half your age, that's taking advantage of me, you know?

"I think you'll find," William breathed, pulling him closer as Ronald wrapped his arms around his back. "You seduced me, darling. You were always after me."

"You didn't mind."

"I never do when a beautiful young thing like yourself tries to seduce me."

He smirked and pulled Ronald up into a deep, passionate kiss, pressing their bodies roughly together. "Hmm, you're being rougher than normal, Will."

"You're half demon, you can handle it." Ronald pushed him off suddenly. William was about to ask when had happened when the bedroom door slammed. He frowned and glanced over at the bathroom door. "Who's that?"

"Will!" Grell called over the noise. "That's where you are then? I thought I'd lost you. I'm just here to check up on you. We're all worried you know."

"Thanks, I'm in the shower," he said. "I'm fine."

"Well, I'm going to stay and wait for you, just to be sure," he said. "Why's Grim in Ronald's shirt? What's going on?"

"He pulled it out the wardrobe," he replied. "He misses him." He reached around Ronald's waist. "We all do."

Ronald batted him off again and William sighed. "Alright, Will. I'll be waiting in the kitchen. Come on, Grim."

"What's wrong?" William whispered, gently taking Ronald's hand only to have him snatch it away. "Ronald?"

"Half demon," Ronald said, leaning back against the wall. "That's what you see. I'm me, William. Why can't you see that? Why do you just see me as half demon? I'm half reaper too. And some human. Why do you focus on the demon?"

"I didn't mean it like that," he said quietly, cupping his cheeks. "Honestly, Ronald, I didn't think you'd take it like that. I should have realised you'd be upset. I'm sorry. Let me make up for it." He leant down to kiss him but Ronald turned away. "Ronald."

"I was having a nice shower before you interrupted," he grumbled. "Get out. Go see Grell. He seems to be eager to let you get him into bed. And he's fully reaper."

"Ronald, you know I don't care about you being a hybrid. Haven't I proven that already?"

"I don't know why I came back here. I thought you'd be pleased to see me after the other day. I'm sorry, ok, I didn't ask for this."

"I know you didn't, Ronald," William whispered. "And I am pleased to see you. Of course I am. Ronald." He hugged him close and leant his head against his. "Don't worry. You know you're my world, Ronald. I never do anything half heartedly, you know that. If being a demon was an issue, you know I'd have let you go by now. It's all or nothing with me, Ronald." He leant down for another kiss and this time Ronald didn't jerk away but pressed up against him, seemingly satisfied with his apology. "I haven't said a word about any of this, I promise, darling. I'll keep you safe this time."

"William..."

"Will, you've been in there a long time," Grell called. "Just what are you doing? Or don't I want to know?"

"None of your business, Sutcliff." He turned his attention back to Ronald, leaning down to nip his neck. "Now, where were we before Lucifer barged in like that?"

Ronald giggled quietly and wrapped his arms around his shoulder. William let his hands wander again and Ronald rocked his hips. It was definitely a sign that he'd been forgiven. Their lips moved slowly together and Ronald moaned softly.

"Will?" Grell called through the door. "You're making weird noises in there."

"I'm fine, Sutcliff."

"If you're sure."

Ronald grabbed him as William sighed. "He should go and find that bloody demon instead of bothering me."

"What is it with you and hating demons so much?" Ronald hissed, stepping out the shower. He wrapped a towel around him and sat against the wall. "Go see Grell."

"Ronald."

"Get him out the bedroom, I'll get dressed and go."

"Ronald, please-"

"Go on, I'll be in contact against in a few days."

William sighed and shut off the shower, slipping on his bathrobe and leaning over him, cupping his cheeks gently and lowering his voice so Grell wouldn't hear. "You don't have to go. Stay with me, darling, I'll get rid of him, you wait here."

"No, I need to go. I need to look after Dusky and find somewhere to rest," Ronald replied quietly.

"Stay with _me_," William whispered. "I only want to help you, Ronald."

"Go, before he gets too suspicious," he said quietly. "Go on."

William sighed and nodded slowly, pressing their lips together before slowly stepping back and striding out. Grell was sitting on the bed, holding Grim tightly. He smiled as William shut the bathroom door.

"Finally," he said, standing up and flicking his hair over his shoulder. "Want me to go so you can get dressed?"

"That's surprisingly good of you, Sutcliff," William said quietly.

"Well, you're suffering, Will," Grell replied. "I'm not all about flirting and blood, you know. I'm a good friend. It's what I do. I'll let you get changed."

William nodded and Grell shut the door behind him. As he did, Ronald slipped out and began to pull on clean clothes only for William to stop him. "Rest for a while at least. I'll keep him out the room, get some rest for a few hours."

Ronald gazed up at him for a few long moments before nodding slowly. "Alright." He closed his eyes slowly and William kissed his lips gently. "No more of that. Go deal with Grell. I'll be out in a few hours."

William nodded and watched Ronald climb into bed before getting dressed and heading out to Grell in to the sitting room. He was holding Grim, brushing his fur slowly. He smiled as William came in and patted the seat next to him. William frowned and Grell smiled. His thoughts were still on Ronald, probably sleeping peacefully in the next room. They were in so much danger. All Grell had to do was barge in again and Ronald would be caught. All he had to do was keep Grell's attention on him. Shouldn't be hard.

"We're all worried about you, Will," Grell said. "We know it must be hard, knowing Ronnie's going to die-"

"We don't know that," William snapped. Of course, normally, he'd be the one being realistic, but this was Ronald. Anyone else and he'd accept that the chances were he'd be killed while being captured, executed or die when they turned him human. The odds were stacked against him, but this was Ronald. "We can't give up hope."

Grim mewled, seeming to agree and Grell smiled, nodding slightly. "I hope you're right, Will. Things won't be the same without our Ronnie."


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N:** Don't go getting excited by the end of this chapter. It's not over yet. There's a lot more torture for you to get through. So, thank you for all your reviews and please keep them coming.

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><p>Ronald sighed and closed his eyes. Lucifer was standing next to the stable he'd put Dusky away in. After a moment, he put on a smile and strode over. As he opened the stable door, Ronald pushed him inside, pressing him against the wall and tangling his fingers into his hair, capturing his lips.<p>

"You're in a good mood," Ronald said quietly, pushing him off slightly. "What's going on?"

"We're ready," Lucifer purred. "This evening, the most powerful demons are gathering to finalise plans. I want you to be there."

"Me? Why?" he said quietly.

"You're the leader of the hybrids, that makes you half demon," he replied. "And you're my lover. You have every right to be there."

"I'm not your lover," he snapped.

"I beg to differ," he chuckled. He smiled and planted another brief kiss on his lips. "Shall we go?"

"Let me pay to keep Dusky here another day. I'll be back in a few minutes."

He hurried out and once he was out of sight, opened a porthole just big enough to reach through and pull Grim into his arms. Opening portholes was much easier as a demon, it was natural. He was told all reapers had the ability to do it but not all were trained since it took a lot of time. Demons seemed to have be able to use the ability far more easily. Grim mewled happily and nuzzled against him. Ronald smiled and pulled out a piece of paper, quickly jotting down a note and tying it to his collar.

"Take that to William for me," he said quietly. "Don't let the others have it." Grim blinked up at him and snuggled against him, burying his head in Ronald's arms. "Hey, come on, you saw me last night. Go on, tell William."

Grim sat on the ground and Ronald sighed, nudging him through the porthole before turning away to pay the innkeeper. He paused at the archway leading into the stables. Lucifer was waiting. He was almost done. He just had to get on with it, he supposed. Hopefully this was where he could make his move and by tonight he'd be cuddled up with William again. Although, he knew that was a bit optimistic, he hung onto the thought. Being with William again was the end goal and he'd do anything to be back in his arms. First he had to make sure everyone was safe though.

Ronald smiled and strode over. Within moments Lucifer had wrapped his arms around him and pulled him through to the dark halls of Hell. There were far more people there than last time. Ronald could almost feel all the power radiating from the demons. They were some of the most powerful demons around, he recognised some of them. But as long as Lucifer had his hand none of them would say a word, let alone make a move to hurt him.

In the throne room, demons were milling around, most looking bored until they entered. Their eyes seemed to light up the moment they saw him. Lucifer sat back on his throne, pulling Ronald onto his lap and wrapping his arms around him possessively, sending a clear message to the other demons. Ronald was his and no smart demon would dare to question it. After a moment, Ronald sat back carefully, resting against Lucifer's shoulder.

"You're letting you desires get away from you, Lucifer," one demon said quietly. "Why is one of those half breeds here?"

"He's the leader of the hybrids," Lucifer replied, nuzzling again Ronald's neck. "And I want him here."

"How do we know we can trust him?" another called. "He used to be a reaper. He might have led them here to kill us."

"We need to test him," the first said. Lucifer growled and glared over and Ronald's stomach churned. That couldn't be good. "Make him feed, Lucifer."

"What?" Ronald hissed. "Who are you to make demands of me? Don't be so paranoid. Why does every race seem to think the others are out to get them? If you all stop being so paranoid there wouldn't be so much fighting. Most these attacks seem to be because you want to get in first. Is that what this is about? You think the reapers are coming to get you so you're going to attack them first?"

"Shh, Ronald," Lucifer purred, stroking his hair. "It's ok. He has a point. You're still very attached to that cold hearted boss of yours. How do I know you won't betray me? He's right, no one reaper agent would ever feed. If you're thinking about betraying me, you won't be able to return to your kind. Find me some tasty human souls."

Ronald stared after the demons that scattered away. A human soul was nothing. He could take a human soul. William had said he'd give him a human soul if he asked, to keep him safe from reapers defending their targets. He must have spoken to Lucy about it. A human soul wouldn't matter, especially if he continued to play as brainwashed, and after he'd resisted feeding on William's soul they knew he was fitting it. He could take a human life. He was starving. Being around William was hard. He smelt so tasty and his blood was delicious. He honestly wanted to feed off him. Like a craving. He hoped they'd find a cure. Much as Ronald hated them treated him like being a hybrid was something to be pitied and that being half demon was disgusting, he wanted to go home and stop being so hungry and stop wanting to eat William's soul.

The doors opened again and a demon was carrying in a human boy. He looked so young. He couldn't have been much older than Ronald's physical body. Lucifer helped him up and led him to the human as another, an elderly woman, was pulled in. Ronald swallowed heavily, taking a deep breath. They smelt so _good_.

"You've never fed before, have you, Ronald?" Lucifer said. Ronald shook his head slightly. "Do they smell good?" Again he nodded. "Watch careful then, you instincts should guide you, but just to make sure I'll go first."

He grabbed the older woman's chin as she begged for her life. Ronald's stomach was doing flips and knotting itself as Lucifer's eyes burned a hot, blood red. Leaning over the terrified woman so their lips were just a hair from hers, Lucifer smirked and glanced up at Ronald before taking the deep breath. The light of life in the woman's eyes dimmed and vanished and Ronald knew she was demon. He'd just lost a soul to demon. Every instinct as a reaper was screaming at him how wrong this was but he had to push it down. Everyone was expecting him to do this. He had to or else he'd never get close enough to make his plan work.

Lucifer got up and licked his lips with a satisfied grin. "See. Simple. Give it a try."

"So, uh..."

He caught the boy to hold him still and leant down slowly. Lucifer was right. His instincts were taking over. Just like with William he was starting to give into demonic side. His lips parted slightly and he drew a slow, deep breath, drawing out the soul. It was so easy. So unbelievably easy. Why was this so easy? And why did it make him feel so amazing? Like he could do anything. Kind of like the high of sex, only without feeling so sleepy afterwards. His hunger was sated and he felt stronger than ever. He could do anything. His senses were on fire. Everything was so clear and bright and every breath was cool and sweet. It was unbelievable.

He stepped back, savouring the sweet taste in his mouth. Lucifer's arms wrapped around him and Ronald didn't resist him gently tipping his head up and capturing his lips. Ronald's mind was hazy and clouded from the feeding, and while he considered pushing Lucifer off he could taste the soul Lucifer had fed on mingling with his own.

"There," Lucifer called. "If we ever doubted him, I think we're all clear which side he's on. So, I hope we're all going to be ready for this evening." The demons began to filter out and Lucifer pulled Ronald to a door in the back of the room and into a large, luxurious bedroom. "See how easy it is? You were a natural."

"Kind of like sucking a straw," Ronald breathed.

"Or your boss," he laughed.

Ronald blushed furiously but was too relaxed by the feeding to be offended and instead just smirked as he collapsed on the bed. "Jealous, Lucifer?"

"Very," Lucifer purred, crawling over him and pecking his lips. "Perhaps you should let go of Mr Spears now. I'm here for you."

"Not right now, Lucifer," he murmured, kicking off his shoes and scampering under the covers, yawning silently. "I want to take a nap. There's plenty of time, what's the rush?"

He patted the bed next to him and closed his eyes slightly so Lucifer couldn't see him watching as he scowled in frustration. Good. The more frustrated he got at Ronald's constant teasing the easier he was to manipulate. Early on, Lucifer's advances were more subtle and hit and miss. He would leave when Ronald gave him a definite no or when he curled up to sleep. His lust was getting the better of his common sense. Lucifer slipped in bed next to him and gently wrapped his arms around him, stroking his hip, making Ronald's stomach churn.

"You're very determined to have me," Ronald murmured. "You must have plenty of demons, humans and maybe even reapers fawning over you. Why waste so much time on someone so awkward?"

"You are rather different, Ronald," Lucifer replied, slipping his fingers slowly up his stomach. "No one has resisted me for so long. Those who are plain are flattered for the attention and those who are beautiful believe it proof of how beautiful they are."

"Which party am I in?"

"You're something of a mix," he said. "You resist me and want to something more. It's quite fascinating. Plus, you're not ordinary."

"People are funny," Ronald murmured. "There are lots of things we do that doesn't make of sense. We do things on the spur of the moment without thinking through the consequences. You should be careful. Sometimes the best ideas end up taking you too far down a path your regret and so far from home you might as well keep going until it can't get any worse."

"That's rather depressing, Ronald," Lucifer said quietly. "You really are quite remarkable."

* * *

><p>Stepping into their shared office after reaping, William was greeted by the sight of Eric, Alan and Grell playing with Grim. He frowned and Grim mewled loudly seeing him. If Grim was there, something must have happened. He seemed to understand work was no place for a cat.<p>

"He's got a note, Will," Grell said. "But he won't let us take it."

William nodded. It must have been from Ronald. He swept Grim up and took him into his office. The others were following behind but William quickly shut the door. He didn't want them seeing this if it was from Ronald. He needed to keep him safe from even them. Grim sat on his desk and offered his neck so William could take the note, rubbing his head gently as he unfolded the note. '_This evening in Hell. I'm ready to come home, William._' He smiled slightly. Ronald would be home soon. A thought sprung to mind and his smile vanished.

"Wait here," he said, getting up and striding out to the shared office again. "We're getting Ronald tonight."

"We are?" Alan said.

"Yes," William said. "Slingby, I need you to come with me for portholes. Sutcliff, bother the Undertaker, find out anything you can that might help him. Mr Humphries, I need you to go an make sure the safe house we prepared is ready for us to bring him straight in. We're heading out straight after work."

He turned and strode back into his office before they could start asking too many questions. He'd stop off to see Dr Burns before they left, he was still hoping against hope that he'd figured something else out. Grim was sitting on a pile of his work, dosing happily. William sighed and stroked his fur gently.

"Don't get in the way."

Time dragged by for the day until they finally clocked out. Alan heading out to the human world immediately while Grell and Eric followed him to the hospital wing. Unsurprisingly, Dr Burns still had nothing new. Grell disappeared into the Undertaker's room while Eric opened up a porthole while no one was looking. It went straight into Hell.

They ran quietly through the halls. There were so few people there and what few were wandering around seemed to be heading to the main hall. They followed quietly and waited, hidden behind the door. Ronald was slouched lazily across Lucifer on the throne. Honestly, Ronald looked far more in control of the situation than Lucifer did. He looked more like the leader than Lucifer. Something was off with him though.

"What's the plan?" Eric hissed.

"Wait and see," William murmured. "We can't get him out of a situation like this. We need to wait for the opportune moment."

Eric nodded. The yelling died down and Ronald slipped off Lucifer's lap, striding through the crowds to the middle of the room. "What the hell makes you all think I'm going with this? If you want help from my kind, I suggest you get a better plan. All out war will get us slaughtered."

"You have a better plan, my dear?" Lucifer purred, getting up and wrapping his arms around him. William clenched his jaw and balled his fists and Lucifer pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. "Let us hear it."

Ronald smiled and whipped out a scythe, driving it into Lucifer's gut. When he pulled it out again, the records came slipping out and Ronald slashed through them easily. William couldn't believe what he'd just seen. Ronald had just killed Lucifer, in front of a hall full of high level demons. Eric seemed just as shocked. Ronald stepped back and staggered away. What he'd done seemed to be sinking in. Ronald closed his eyes slowly, taking a shaking breath as the blood dripped from his blade. They were going to kill him. The demons would kill him for this. Ronald seemed to be realising it too. William was about to go in and grab him when Eric pulled him back.

There was a quiet murmur from the demon crowd before they began slowly clapping. William frowned as their claps grew to loud cheers and praise. Ronald looked just as stunned. Turning around slowly, Ronald's eyes widened.

"A change of management, I suppose," one of the demons laughed.

Another demon laughed and clapped his back. "See, Lucifer took too much time playing to his ego."

"I suppose you're going to take his place?" another said quietly.

Ronald looked confused by the idea, then turned slowly to the throne. He couldn't be tempted, could he? After a tense moment of silence, Ronald stepped forwards slowly and stood in front the throne.

"I suppose I am," he murmured, sitting slowly. "So... take a break on the reaper thing. All out war is a dumb plan. I'll work on something else."

"Sir," a demon called.

William and Eric whipped around just in time to be shoved into the hall. Quickly regaining his balance, William adjusted his glasses with his scythe and turned his to Ronald. "You're really going to take over control of the demons?"

"Ron?" Eric snapped. "Come on, we're your friends, remember? Come home with us."

"It's too late," Ronald whispered. William frowned and adjusted his glasses again. What had Lucifer got Ronald to do? "I gave in." No. Please no. Ronald had killed and fed? That could be ok though. As long as it was just a human and he was still acting brainwashed. "I killed him. I devoured his soul. And you know the worst thing? I enjoyed it. He tasted _so_ good. I'd do it again, William, you have to kill me. That's the only way this is going to end. If you don't kill me now, I'm going to give in and devour your soul too."

"Ron, listen to yourself," he said. William couldn't say a word. He could barely think. Ronald had lost himself in his demonic nature. "Come on. It's us. You're not going to hurt us."

Ronald stepped forwards slowly and stood just in front of them. "Aren't you going to kill me? I'll be executed, right?"

"No, we'll keep you safe."

"Why should I trust you anyway?" Ronald snapped. "You've always looked down on me. You act like I'm some dumb kid. Now I'm not. I'm king."

"You're brainwashed," Eric said. "William, say something."

"You wanted me to love you no matter what you were," William said finally. "I don't care that you're demon, reaper and human all mixed up but if you do this now, you're not the boy I fell for. What you are is nothing to me, but what you're about to do is."

"You don't mean that."

"I do."

"Prove it then. Prove you can get over the fact that I'm half demon. You seem to have a real hang up about that."

William sighed then caught him suddenly around the waist and pulled him forwards, pressing their lips together. Ronald gave a startled yelp, but quickly wrapped his arms around him, pressing close against him. Eric seemed to have taken his cue and quickly opened a porthole. Turning on his heel, William grabbed Ronald's and yanked him forwards, pushing him roughly through the porthole and out onto the other side with Eric only steps behind. He didn't know if the demons would let them go or not. That hadn't seemed bothered by Lucifer's death, maybe they wouldn't care about Ronald being snatched away either. Whatever the demons did, he needed to get Ronald secure first.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N:** Yes, yes, Ronald is back with the guys. It's not all good though. It's a sad little chapter with a nice little ending. Kind of. Yeah, we're got time though. You wait. There's plenty more to come. So, thanks for the reviews and please keep them coming.

* * *

><p>Ronald was utterly stunned when he was pushed into new room. The porthole closed and Eric and William pushed him down to the bed, holding him in place as they cuffed his wrists behind him. Alan sighed, watching them from a safe distance. All Ronald could do was stare up at William. What were they doing? They'd pulled him away from the demons and now they were chaining him up.<p>

"What's going on?" he cried, kicking and squirming. "Let go!"

"I'm sorry, Ron," Eric said gently. "Just calm down."

"Get off of me!" Ronald yelled.

"Ronald," Alan whispered. "Please, stop fighting them. We're not trying to hurt you."

"William, please." William glanced away. "William!"

After another ten minutes or so of fighting Ronald finally gave up. Eric stepped back and William shifted him to he was lying on his lap, stroking his hair. Ronald just closed his eyes and gave up. Why were tying them up? Why were they doing this? He would have thought they would be glad to have him back. Eric had just told him they'd keep him safe. What was going on? William sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Can you two give use a few minutes?" Eric and Alan nodded and left the room slowly. William sighed and Ronald closed his eyes. Was he going to apologise? That'd be just like him. "You're a good little actor, Ronald."

"Let me go," Ronald whispered. "Please, William."

"Ronald, you've just admitted to feeding off a human soul," William said gently. "And they still believe you're brainwashed. And whether or not you are, Eric and I saw you kill Lucifer and you were about to take over control of the demons. What did you think would happen? That you'd be welcomed home with no questions asked? You knew that this wouldn't be easy. Don't worry. Dr Burns is working on a cure, everyone believes you're brainwashed. Play along until the end and you'll get off scot-free. We'll make it work." He sighed heavily and Ronald nodded slowly. He was right he supposed. "What have you done to me, Ronald?" He glanced up and William gave him a gentle smile. "I used to pay attention to the rules and regulations to the letter. And now I've done things I'd never dreamt of for you. Look at me now, keeping you here after we've been ordered to bring you in, just because I can't bare the idea of following the rules and seeing you killed."

Ronald frowned then smiled softly and leant against his lap. Actually, he was starting to get a bit tired. He supposed it kind of made sense, and they wouldn't keep him hear long, would they? He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. They'd look after him and he'd be home within a few weeks. It couldn't take Dr Burns too long to find a cure, could it? William's hands slid soothingly through his hair and he sighed contently. Actually, he was exhausted. He seemed to have come down off the high of feeding. After that the world seemed cold and harsh. He nuzzled into William's lap, shivering slightly. He wanted to feed again. That little boy hadn't been enough to sustain him for long. William would. One eye slid open, flashing red as Ronald glanced up at William. He'd locked him, chained him up and now he was expect him to act like he was fine. Why shouldn't he pay with his life? He would be so delicious, wouldn't he? His blood had been divine. Why not feed from him?

No. Ronald closed his eyes again and took a deep breath as William slipped the covers up around him, letting him snuggle in. He couldn't feed off William. He was trying to help him, wasn't he? How could he even think about that? How had he been so tempted by those demons? He'd just felt so powerful, like he could do anything any no one could stop him. He could make the people who'd hurt him pay. He could so everything he'd always wanted. It was so intoxicating. He'd have thrown away everything for it, for that power and respect, but at the expense of the people he loved. What was wrong with him? The door opened quietly and he assumed it was Eric and Alan returning.

"Is he asleep?" Eric said. Ronald kept his eyes closed, wanting her hear what they were saying. Obviously William had nodded. "He's not too angry, is he?"

"He's not happy," William said quietly. "But he seemed to have calmed down."

The bed dipped slightly and he was pleasantly surprised when Alan's soft, delicate hand brushed through his hair. They smelt good too. They were trying to comfort him and help him, weren't they? It wasn't working yet but he knew they were trying their hardest.

"We'll figure something out," Alan said quietly. "We can't keep him here forever. I think we really need to talk seriously about what we're going to do. What if we can't find a cure? How long do we wait?"

"I don't know," William replied. "We'll talk about it another time though."

Ronald sighed and shifted slightly. William stroked his hair gently as footsteps came closer. "Is he ok?"

Grell. Grell was here too? Great. Ronald might have adored and respected Grell but he was still a little wary about how much he wanted William. Even after so long, he still insisted on flirting with him and causing trouble. He always said he was joking and it was just his way, and Ronald believed him to an extent, but sometimes he just wished he'd stop it and respect that they were together.

"Just sleeping," Eric muttered. "He'll be fine. Did you think of anything?"

"It is possible," the Undertaker said. "The cure Dr Burns has currently been using has only been tested on humans turned into hybrids. It's possible that it would work differently on him. It turned them into humans perhaps it would return him to a reaper. Still, are you willing to risk it? Or will you keep him here until there's a better cure? When do you give up hope?"

Human? Why were they talking about turning hybrids human? Was that what they were going to do him? They were going to turn him human? He couldn't be _human_. They'd make him a human rather than see him as hybrid. Did they really want rid of him that much? His mind was racing and he suddenly realised his breath had quickened when William hushed him, stroking his hair gently.

"Ronald," he whispered. "It's just a bad dream, Ronald." He opened his eyes slowly and William smiled. "It was just a bad dream, darling." Ronald nodded slowly and turned away, closing his eyes again. He didn't want to talk to them. Not after hearing that and realising what they were going to do. "Ronald..."

"How are you feeling, Ron?" Eric said quietly.

He didn't answer until Eric nudged his side. "Hungry."

"You just admitted to feeding earlier today," he snapped. "You can't be hungry again." Ronald rolled over as best he could with his arms behind his back and buried himself in the duvet. "Ron."

"Ronnie," Grell said, shaking him roughly. "Ronnie, stop ignoring us, we're trying to help you."

They wanted to make him human. He shook at the though and William sighed. "Ronald."

William sighed as Ronald closed his eyes. He'd been afraid Ronald would react like this. He sighed. Of course, Ronald was upset but there had to be something he could do to comfort him. He was doing everything he could for Ronald, to keep him safe and secure, unfortunately it was at the cost of his contentment. Sometimes they had to make sacrifices though. And they'd all agreed it. A decision like this wasn't to be taken lightly. They'd taken hours arguing and discussing the best way to deal with it. It was for the best. It wasn't comfortable or easy but the long run it would be for the best. Wouldn't it?

"Do you want something to eat?" Eric said.

"A soul," Ronald grumbled.

"You can't have many more souls, Ron," he warned. "Brainwashed or not, you can't afford to have too many more."

"Why are you being so awkward?" Grell snapped. "We're trying to help you? Why are you being such a baby? Don't you want to get better?"

"Better?" Ronald hissed. "I don't want you to make me better. Just leave me alone."

William tilted his head, considering for a moment before getting up and herding the others out into the next room. They had two adjoining rooms in the house. One bedroom and one living room. Grell sighed and collapsed a chair, drawing his knees to his chest. The Undertaker sighed sat on the arm of the chair, patting his head. Eric opened a porthole and stepped through. He'd probably be going to get Ronald something to eat, even if Ronald didn't seem to want it. Perhaps a little time to himself would make him easier to talk to.

It was tempting to give in to Ronald's demands and fetch him a soul to feed on. William knew he couldn't, of course he couldn't. It wouldn't do Ronald any good in the long run, and it was possible he was just demanding a soul to be awkward, but he hated seeing him in upset. He'd seen lovers giving their alcoholic or drug addicted partners what they wanted because they didn't want to see them upset. It was easier than seeing them suffering from withdrawal, even if it wasn't what was best for them. He'd never understood it before, he thought they were weak minded idiots, but suddenly he understood.

"He's rather worked up, no?" the Undertaker chuckled. "Poor little thing."

"He's not a _thing_," Alan snapped with unusual ferocity. William gazed over. Obviously this was getting to him too. "He's _Ronald_. Our Ronald! We're not going to treat him like some sort of animal to be locked up in a cage. We're already holding him against his will, we're not going to start taking away his humanity too."

"Of course not, Alan," William said. "No one's saying that. We don't have much else we can do at the moment. Perhaps if he settles a little more we can let him have more freedom, but you have to agree, for now there's nothing more we can really do."

It was unfortunate, but true. They'd saved Ronald from the demons, now they had to save him from himself. And it wasn't going to be easy. Ronald didn't seem to want to make it easy for them. But they'd do it. They had to, no matter what it took.

"Mr Spears," the Undertaker laughed. "I think it's time you told the truth, before we get too much further."

Ronald closed his eyes, listening to the murmur from the other room. He couldn't make out the works but knew she was suffering. The shackles were tight but he was still wearing his leather gloves so they didn't rub too much. He sighed, curling up in the soft, warm duvet. At least they were taking care of him. He wasn't going to just give in though. He was going to fight them with everything he had. They weren't going to make him human. No way was he going to let that happen. The adjoining door opening and closed but Ronald didn't move.

"Ronald," the Undertaker chuckled, his footsteps slowly drawing closer. Ronald rolled over further and buried his head in the pillow. "They're all trying to help you. They only want what's best for you."You are being remarkably stubborn. You resisted Lucifer, didn't you?" He nodded. "Would you like to see the scar you left me with?"

Ronald opened his eyes, turning slowly and the Undertaker chuckled. He was kneeling on the bed next to him. Ronald struggled to sit up as the Undertaker unbuttoned his robes. He slipped a key from his pocket and unlocked one of the cuffs, twisting his arm behind his back, keeping him still as he pulled him up onto his knees. Ronald couldn't help breathing in his scent. He wished so desperately he could stop smelling the souls. They were so wonderfully tempting though. Like walking into a bakery and smelling all the freshly baked bread and cakes and sweets.

Suddenly the Undertaker pressed his finger to Ronald's lips. Ronald blinked in confusion, staring up at him. "Now now. Let's not get too personal, Ronald, you'll want my blood next." Ronald sat back slightly and he smiled. "Good boy. Here."

He slipped off his robes from his shoulder to reveal the nasty scar Ronald's attack with the demon sword had left. Ronald drew back slightly but the Undertaker kept him still. He reached out slowly, entranced by the damage he'd caused, and slowly tracing his fingers over it, murmuring his apologies. His fingers trembled. There was blood flowing right below his fingers. It would be so easy to take his soul. The Undertaker pressed his fingers against his lips again, pushing him off.

"You're thinking about it again," he said firmly. "Stop it. Now, do you want to see William suffering as he watches you struggling? You two seem intent on suffering together."

He reached back to lock the second cuff in place again but Ronald jerked back. "Please, don't chain me up again. Please."

The Undertaker shook his head and firmly clasped the cuff firmly around his wrist. The door opened again and Ronald turned. Eric and William came in quietly with the others following behind. Ronald sat back down at turned away. He didn't want to talk to them anyway. What were they expecting of him? Did they want him to cooperate after they'd grabbed him like that and chained him up? He had wanted to come home and be happy with them, why did they think he was so dangerous? Why hadn't William stopped this? Were they trying to get rid of him? Was that why they were so willing to turn him human?

"Ronald," William said. His head jerked up and he stared up at him. "It's alright, they know."

"You told them?" Ronald hissed, scrambling back away from them as Eric stepped closer. "You promised. You said you wouldn't. You _promised_ you wouldn't!"

"Ron," Eric said gently. "Calm down. It's ok. It's ok."

"No," he cried. "No, let me go. Let me go. Please. Let me go and I'll just leave. You won't hear from me again. Please, don't."

"Don't what?" Alan said. "Ronald? What do you think we're going to do to you?" Ronald shook his head and curled up against the bed head. "...Ronald..."

"Get out!" His voice cracked and he closed his eyes tightly. "Get out! Leave me alone! Get out! Please, just stay away from me!"

William sighed. "Ronald, please."

Ronald didn't move or make a sound. After a few moments of them shifted awkwardly, their footsteps moved away and the door closed. He opened his eyes slowly to find William sitting on the windowsill, watching the people on the streets below but no sign of the others. At least he wasn't trying to talk to him anymore. He laid back down and snuggled under the duvets as best he could. He'd been so excited to come home to his friends, now he felt so stupid. They were all going to betray him. Even William. Let him rot and grown old as a human and reap his soul when the time came. How could William do this to him? Didn't he care? They couldn't be together anymore. He'd give that up just because he was half demon? He scrunched his eyes shut as hot tears welled up and buried his face in the bedding.

Watching the people below mean William didn't have to look at Ronald. He was crying and obviously trying to hide it. How had this happened? Sighing silently, he leant against the cool glass. All those people outside were so content with their lives, passing around with no idea what happened in a world invisible to them. How demons and reapers lived and died everyday completely unseen by the humans. Like in these rooms. They'd paid the landlord and no one would care how much Ronald screamed and cried. They wouldn't care. This wasn't exactly a reputable area. There were already women out there. Ladies of the night. He'd heard Ronald would even deal with when he was too lonely back when he was struggling.

He'd was losing Ronald. After doing all he could to keep him and get him together. How had he lost his grip so quickly? He thought Ronald was hanging on. William had honestly believed Ronald was holding on and he was going to be able to bring him home safely. Why had Ronald suddenly given in and started to push them away? Why couldn't he reach him anymore? It didn't make sense. And it frustrated him so much that he couldn't figure it out. Ronald was right. He shouldn't have told the others about what had happened. He'd promised after all. He'd broken his promise. Why should Ronald keep trusting him? He glanced back at Ronald and his heart wrenched.

"Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?" he said quietly. Ronald shook his head. He sighed and glanced at the bite mark on his wrist. "Ronald?" There was no answer and William stood slowly, striding over to the bed and sitting next to him, rolling him over gently. "Would you like a drink?"

"Alcohol would be good," Ronald murmured.

"I wasn't thinking about alcohol," William said, slowly picking up Ronald's small flick knife. It wasn't a death scythe. It was fine to use. He nicked his wrist, watching the blood welling in the wound, and Ronald's eyes lit up. Demons had that deplorable sense of smell. "Do you a drink?" Ronald nodded quickly, struggling to sit up a little more and William smiled slightly. He had his attention now. He couldn't, in good conscience, get him a soul but he could let him have a taste. "Open up."

Ronald parted his lips and William offered him his wrist. As he suspected, Ronald quickly pressed his lips to the wound, lapping up his blood and sending shivers down his spine as that demonic toxin mixed with his blood. It was another good reason to never let a demon so close when he was injured. William hated to think he could end up at the mercy of a demon, some demons in particular, by letting them near his blood. He wrapped his free arm gently around Ronald, pulling him close and burying his head in his hair before slowly leaning down to his neck, kissing and nipping. Ronald gasped softly but didn't make any move of disapproval. Perhaps he just needed affection to calm him down.


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N:** A short but very important chapter. I'm sorry. I am so so so sorry. Please don't hate me. Anyway. I'm sorry, that's it. Please review and thank you to everyone who does and has. It'll get better I promise. I'm sorry.

* * *

><p>The few weeks William had been had been hoping to hold Ronald for slowly turned months. He stayed at Ronald's side when he didn't have to work. It was looking more and more permanent. Ronald had long since stopped fighting and had gone spiralling down into a deep depression. It worried William more than anything. Nothing seemed to reach him anymore. He'd tried. Every day he tried everything he could think of to help Ronald recover but it wasn't working.<p>

It had all started after he let him drink his blood the first night. Ronald had gotten carried away again, as he'd expected after the last time, and tried to feed off him again in his hazy, pleasured state. It hadn't been hard to overpower him with his hands chained. Of course, after that, he'd tried to be firm and keep him from getting too carried away again. Then he started refusing to eat and stop responding, apparently convinced that they were going to betray him and poisoned his food, trying to get rid of him. William couldn't understand and everyone else but Alan seemed to be in denial. At first, he could coax him out of his shell with physical affection and letting him lap up his blood when he got too desperate. After a few more weeks of letting him drink his blood, the effects began to wear off. He stopped eating entirely, he stopped moving and fighting. He just lay there. After a month, he was completely gone. William and the others had tried everything he could think of, in his desperation he'd even offered to find a soul for him to feed on, but not even that had worked. His wrists were unchained but Ronald barely moved. He just lay on the bed, ignoring everything and everyone.

William sighed, stroking Ronald's hair. He wasn't going to give up trying. He was going to keep trying as long as it took. Sooner or later _something_ would work. Anything. He'd do anything to reach Ronald now. Anything at all. Everyone had tried and failed. Ronald was fading away. He leant over slowly and brushed Ronald's hair from his eyes. He was just staring at nothing, not responding at all. Eric came over with a cup of steaming hot soup and William helped Ronald to sit up, holding him gently in his arms and taking the cup from him. Ronald wasn't paying attention, his eyes completely dead and dull. The beautiful, playful glint in his eyes William had always loved had vanished completely. He pressed the cup encouragingly, praying today there'd be some change and eat. But, as with every day for the past few months, Ronald didn't even look like he'd noticed they were there, let alone trying to help him.

"Please, Ronald," he murmured. "Drink. You need to keep your strength up." Ronald lips parted slightly, allowing him to gently pour the soup down. "That's it." He sighed and gently stroked Ronald's hair. "We can't do this much longer."

Alan nodded quickly. "He's right."

"Hey, come on," Eric said quickly. "I know this isn't ideal, but what's the alternative? The only other option is to take him home. We can't do that. Not yet. Not until there's a cure."

"There _is_ a cure though," Grell said. William sighed and shook his head slowly and Grell smiled weakly. "We can't keep this up, Will, you said it yourself."

"Not yet," William whispered, kissing Ronald's hair gently. "We can't. Not yet. We can a little longer."

"Look at him, William," Alan said, his voice heavy and hoarse, tears shinning in his eyes. "This isn't good for him. He's suffering. We're his friends, everything we've done has been what we think is best for him. I think it's obvious this has gone far longer than any of us thought it would. I think it's time we talked serious about letting him go. No more putting it off and saying we give him a bit more time. It's time we made a decision."

William nodded slowly. He was right, he supposed. They'd put it off for so long. They'd convinced themselves he'd get better or Dr Burns would find a better cure but it wasn't looking good. He stood slowly and laid Ronald back on the bed.

"I'll go and talk to Miss Rose and Dr Burns," he said. "To see if there's any progress or if the plan will even work. I'll be back soon."

They nodded and William stepped out slowly. He was glad he had Lucy on side. A lot of higher ups didn't care about officers. Lucy had slowly become a good friend. If anyone could help them pull off this plan it was her. She was influential and caring, wanting only the best for those she managed, while still being strict and firm. She would understand.

He soon found himself outside her door, knocking quietly. It was the middle of the night and she probably had better things to do, but this was important. There were movement inside and after what seemed like hours, the door opened. Lucy brushed his platinum blonde hair from his eyes and tugged down the hem of her skirt. No, William noticed, it wasn't a skirt. It was a shirt, loosely buttoned around her neck so he could see more of her chest than was appropriate and the hem of the shirt was just low enough to cover her modesty. And it was definitely a man's shirt.

Lucy smiled brightly and adjusted her glasses. "Mr Spears, good evening. What can I do for you tonight?"

"I need to talk to you about Ronald," he replied. Lucy nodded and stepped aside. "If the cure Dr Burns had did make him human, what would happen to him?"

"Well," Lucy said, pulling on a dressing gown and leaning back against a counter. "It's not a normal situation but I would assume he'd be set up in the human world and treated as one of them."

"What if we brought him back as a newborn reaper?" William said. Lucy frowned. "If we turn him human, we can just bring him back, can't we?"

"Officers aren't supposed to know how reapers are born, William," Dr Burns said quietly, suddenly behind him. William turned away quickly as Lucy got up, slipped off her gown and began to unbutton the shirt. "Thank you."

"You can look again, William," Lucy said. He glanced back and she had done up the robe again. "Honestly, for such a blunt man you are rather shy. I'm sure you've seen what a woman looks like before."

William was sure he was blushing and glanced away. Dr Burns was slipping on his shirt and buttoning it up. "Well, this saves me a trip. I wanted to talk about Ronald with both of you."

"We're both right here," she said. "But honestly, William, hasn't it been long enough? Let him go. You're welcome to stay."

"Ah..." he said quietly. "Please, Miss Rose, this is serious. I've found him." Lucy's eyes widened and Dr Burns stiffened slightly. "Can we give him the cure and bring him back as a new reaper?"

"It's tricky," Lucy said, glancing at Dr Burns. "But I think I can convince them. Ronald is a valued reaper who has suffered a lot, they could easily be talked into believing Ronald would be even better if he didn't have to remember the abuse he'd been through. And there's no protocol for this." She nodded slowly. "I should be able to do it. You should go to the hospital wing and get everything ready, Fred."

William nodded slowly, frowning slightly. He'd known Dr Burns for years and hadn't even known his name. Dr Burns slipped on his waistcoat. William followed him out the apartment. Dr Burns wasn't looking at him. There was something more going on.

"Dr Burns?"

"You want to be the one who does it, I assume," Dr Burns said quietly.

"Does what? Reaps his soul?" William said. "Of course."

"You don't know?" he said. William frowned. "There's a reason so many reapers are so young. The human's life must have been cut short. They can't die of natural causes." William's breath caught in his throat. "You have to kill him, William. Can you do that?"

"I'll have to," he said softly. "I won't let anyone else do it."

Dr Burns nodded and turned up to the hospital as William returned to London. Returning to the house they were keeping Ronald in, he prayed he'd find Ronald had changed and was up and around. Unfortunately, Ronald was still lying there, unresponsive with Eric and Alan next to him. Grell and the Undertaker were watching, talking quietly between themselves. Everyone seemed as tense as when he left.

William walked over slowly and pulled Ronald out of bed, lifting him and holding him tight, still getting not a response. He had to _kill_ him. He'd assumed he'd have reap Ronald's soul once he'd gone, but to actually have to kill him. Everything was absolutely numb. There was no way he could tell the others. They'd want to stop him and find another way.

"We're really going to do this then?" Eric said, following him out.

William nodded and Eric opened a porthole. The hospital was buzzing as they stepped in. Dr Burns and Lucy were waiting for them. Smiling sadly, Dr Burns lead them to one of the isolation rooms with two guards outside. William laid him down gently on and slid the covers up around him.

"How long as he been like this?" Dr Burns said quietly.

"A while," Alan said. "He's so unresponsive."

"Well, I'll prepare the injection," he said with a sigh. "You two keep an eye on him. It'll take about an hour after it's been administered."

Ronald blinked hazily, listening to the blurred voices around him. He was home. In the hospital. What was going on now? Weren't they done torturing him? Or was it time to get rid of him at last? Dr Burns came in with a needle and rolled up his sleeves. The needle pricked his skin and he blinked again, the only reaction to the pinch. Was that it? They were going to turn him human.

"It should take about an hour," Dr Burns said. "You'll have to be ready about then, Mr Spears. I don't know how long his body will hold out without medical attention."

Ronald's eyelids slid lower. Human. He was going to be human. He'd have to make do as a mortal. Without William. He'd have to be without William. After he betrayed him and turned him human he wasn't letting him near him again. Time was slipping away. He opened his eyes as they flashed red, suddenly awake and alert.

No. He wasn't going to give into this. He was going to fight this. He didn't have long. If he could get away and return to the hybrids, they could save him. They could help him. He wouldn't have to be human. He didn't have long though. He glanced at the clock. Time had slipped by far too quickly. It had been fifty minutes. He had to move fast.

Ronald sprung to his feet and darted forwards before the guard could even realise he was loose, knocking them out with ease. He bolted down the hall way. The alarm was already blaring. He had to get out. He threw his arms forwards to open a porthole. It open in the middle of the main hall and Ronald threw himself forwards, only to be grabbed by a pair of hands and thrown aside. He stared up at the demon above him. He'd opened a demon porthole? The demon sneered as others flooded into the hall, maiming everyone within reach and feeding off the souls of the weak and injured.

"Don't worry," the demon purred. "You're already beginning to smell like a human. We'll finish you soon too." Ronald tried desperately to shut off the porthole but his abilities weren't working. He glanced up and the demons smirked. "Such pretty blue eyes you have, human." He was feeling sick. His stomach was churning. He was going to die. The demon grasped his neck and lifted him from the floor. "I'll make it quick. Before you die."

There was a snap and William's scythe drove through the demon's arm. He dropped Ronald, hissing violently as William picked Ronald up and pulled him back into one of the room, hugging him close. The others were slaying demons outside. William sighed and stroked Ronald's hair lovingly.

"I'm sorry, darling," he whispered hoarsely. "I never wanted to do this to you. It's ok though. I'm not going to just let you go. You're human now, that means you can be reborn as a reaper." Ronald stared up at him. That meant he had to die. William was going to let him die! "I'm so sorry it has to be like this." The tip of William's scythe pressed against his back, over his heart. "I'm so sorry, Ronald. I'm sorry."

"No," he cried. "No. No, please, William. I don't want to die. I don't want to die!"

There was a cruel laugh and they turned to a demon approaching slowly, blocking the exit. William closed his eyes tightly and pressed their lips together in one last, desperate kiss before pulling the trigger. Ronald gasped, tears streaming down his cheeks and William drew his scythe back, watching the record through his steamy glasses before cutting it slowly and reaping his soul. The blonde's body went limp in his arms and the life left his eyes. He plucked Ronald glasses from his nose and held him close against his chest, kissing his hair, still apologising. He'd killed him. He'd _murdered_ Ronald. Everything hurt. There was a strange burning stabbing in his chest that was just agony. Ronald. He'd killed Ronald. He didn't care about the demon still approaching, he just wanted to hold onto Ronald forever.

There was a loud bang and William flinched as blood splattered over him. The demon fell to the floor, his head a mess. In the door way, her skirt billowing around her ankles and white blonde hair dripping with blood, was Lucy, slowly lowering a pair of rifles. William frowned, the caught the words across the barrels. DEATH SCYTHE. They were her scythes?

"Leave him, William," she said. "It's nothing more than a body now. His soul is in your scythe, ready to be reborn. If you don't survive, what's it worth? Are you going to just sit here while other people lose their loved ones when they can't bring them back and have a second chance like you can? Get up, William. Fight. Kill the bastard who created those damn hybrids. The William I know would never just give up and let someone get away with doing something like that. Get up and fight those bloody demons, William, that's an order. I know you won't disappoint me."

She turned away and strode out into the fray, leaving William staring after her. She was right though, wasn't she? He had to get on with this. Ronald couldn't just sit around and let people die. He kissed his cheek and laid him back on the flood, picking up his scythe and striding out. Those disgusting demons were the perfect way to let out his grief. He blinked quickly to clear his blurred vision and wiped his glasses. He was going to get rid of the demons, then he was going to bring Ronald back.


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N:** Have a long chapter to make up for the short and traumatic chapter last chapter. Poor things. So, here you go. How do we deal with Ronnie's death? Simple really. Lots of yelling. Mainly from Eric. Anyway, yes, carry on. Please review, and thank you went you do.

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><p>"Lucinda!" William, Lucy and Dr Burns looked up to a grey haired old man glaring at them over the balcony railings. "What are you doing bringing in all this blood? The Library is not a place for blood." His glare fell on William and he adjusted his glasses. "And <em>he<em> would appear to be an _officer_. In the Library."

William swallowed heavily and Lucy nodded slightly. He'd only ever been in the Library once. There was a wing in the Library where newborn reapers were kept until the start of the next academy year. When it was time for them to start, they were marched through, given their dorm rooms and abandoned to a world they didn't know how to exist in. It was cruel but it served them well. They learnt quickly by their mistakes and learnt to get help from other. Lucy climbed up the stairs and Dr Burns followed, so William figured he'd probably be best to follow. The old man brushed down his suit and glared at William before turning to Lucy, who held the most senior position among them.

"What is the meaning of this, Lucinda?"

"Gregory," Lucy said calmly. "The country's heads, of all departments, have agreed that Mr Knox should be reborn as a reaper and that Mr Spears should be here. The Undertaker has already blabbed enough about the system that he can be here to see how it happens."

Gregory nodded. "Fredric? I assume you've cleared this?"

"Yes," Dr Burns said. "Mr Spears is perfectly trustworthy."

"So, shall we?" Lucy said.

Gregory nodded and led the way across to the floor to the large, bare room with just a pile of sheets. Dr Burns turned to him. "Now, Mr Spears, whatever happens, you must stay out of this. We know what we're doing. Just let us do this, ok?" William nodded. "Alright then, can I have your scythe please?"

William handed over his scythe and Lucy stood as his side as he handed it to Gregory. Removing the soul from a scythe wasn't part of William's job. At the end of the field work, they gave their scythe in to the Sorting Department and they removed them, judged them, sorted them and stored them once they got the on their death from the Dispatch and Collection Department. He'd seen it once or twice, he assumed that resurrecting Ronald would be a lot like that. Michelle was still a reaper when she was killed so her demon just transferred her soul. This was creating a whole new body from the soul's energy though. Usually, when a reaper died, their soul was reformed into a book and stored with the other souls. As such, there wasn't enough energy to hold the body together anymore. Ronald's body was human when he died though. It wouldn't fade. And it looked like his soul would simply be reformed. The Undertaker had explained it to him, but it was only just starting to sink in. Ronald wouldn't remember anything. That was for the best though, wasn't it? He'd forget all the abuse he'd suffered. He could wait and perhaps, somehow, Ronald would return his affection again one day.

The record spilled from his scythe and curled around itself into a ball of green energy. This was the point where it would normally take the form of a book but this time it grew and stretched into a definite human form, hovering just off the ground. William's heart was pounding. Ronald was being reformed. He'd be real again so soon. He'd be forced to watch Ronald grow and figure out the world without him. If they were lucky he'd be rushed through in five years. Still that was five years where a relationship with him would be _highly_ illegal. The glowing energy flashed away and William smiled as it revealed Ronald. His hair was still blonde and beautifully messed up. He looked asleep and, much to William's surprise, was completely naked. He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting. It was silly to believe reapers were created with their uniforms already made.

Finally, Ronald dropped to the ground, collapsing back into Dr Burns arms. William wanted desperately to run over and grab him, to hold him close and kiss him all over but he let Dr Burns wrap him gently in the sheets, checking him over. After a few long, agonising minutes Dr Burns nodded and smiled.

"He's clear," he said, nodding slightly. "I can't see any obvious problems." William let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding. Ronald was alright. "Let's get him through to the nursery. Mr Spears."

He stepped over and gently picked Ronald up, holding him close in his arms as he followed his superiors out into the halls and up another staircase. The nursery was a big, plain hall full of beds, each with a bedside table and chair and nothing else. It was where newborns were kept. William's memories of the place weren't fond. Ronald would have to put up with a few months in there. Gregory picked up a strip of card and a marker, putting Ronald's name on it and slipping it into a slot above a bed. William laid him down, stroking his hair gently before he was pulled away. Lucy smiled weakly as Gregory marked a file then strode off.

"Let him wake up," she whispered.

He nodded slowly. He remembered waking up. Dr Burns had been there and no one else. That was how it worked. He was one of the youngest in his year but a few others came in. They were put in bed, their bed marked and Dr Burns would sit and wait for them to wake up so he could do another check up.

It didn't take long. Soon, Ronald was stirring and finally opened his eyes. Those big beautiful eyes William loved so much. Of course, waking up with no memories in a strange room and barely able to see without his glasses meant he was understandably panicked. He wanted nothing more to step forwards and hug him tight to soothe him but Dr Burns seemed to so a good job. It was his job he supposed. It didn't take him long to calm Ronald enough that he'd lie still and let Dr Burns slip on the academy glasses. He glanced around and tried to sit up but his arms weren't strong enough and he collapsed back as Dr Burns chuckled.

"Don't you worry," he said gently. "It'll take some time before you're fully recovered and have your strength back. Just let me check you over." Ronald nodded slowly and glanced over at William and Lucy before Dr Burns turned his chin and lifted his glasses, shinning a light in his eyes quickly. "Ah yes, I'm Dr Burns, Britain's Head of Medicine." He slid Ronald's glasses back down and took his wrist, taking his pulse. "That's Miss Rose, British Head of Internal Maintenance, and Mr Spears, he supervises Britain's top Collection and Dispatch division."

"...hi..." Ronald whispered. "Umm, I don't... remember... _anything_. It's all really blank."

"That's alright," Dr Burns said. "It's to be expected. No one remembers when they wake up. All you need to know is this is your home now. You're safe here. Your name is Ronald Knox. You are a reaper and for now, you're a student. You'll be trained and then given a job." Ronald nodded, looking incredibly confused. "Well, you seem to be in good shape." He pulled out a set of white clothes from the bedside table's cupboard and set them on the bed. "These are for you. You're not to leave this room without permission. I'll leave you to settle in and I'll be back with some glasses better suited to your eyes soon."

"I'll see you for a check up later, doctor," Lucy murmured and Dr Burns smirked.

William sighed and rolled his eyes. It was incredibly obvious now he knew. He didn't know how he hadn't seen it before. Still, he had more important things to do. Ronald was staring up at them, his eyes wide and scared. It was then William remembered they were both soaked in demon's blood. He didn't know what to say. Ronald didn't know him, he didn't remember him, what was he supposed to say or do?

"You should probably put some clothes on, Mr Knox," Lucy said quietly.

Ronald nodded slowly and pulled on the loose white t-shirt and trousers. The problem with being a newborn, and a student in some ways, was that it kept you from being a person. Until they were officers, or at least senior students, they didn't know who they really were and had very little identity. They were still figuring themselves out. The blank white outfits they wore in the nursery and the way their glasses were uniform kept them looking all the same as much as possible.

"Can you tell me what's going on?" Ronald whispered. "Where am I? What's going on? How did I get here?"

"That's a lot of questions, Mr Knox," Lucy said as William opened his mouth. "This is the nursery, it's where we keep newborn reapers until it's time to take you to the academy for training for your job. You'll be given a dorm room at that time." Ronald nodded slowly. "We brought you here after you were born and now you're going to stay here. Ok? You'll be well looked after, but you can't leave until it's time to take you to the academy."

Ronald nodded again, closing his eyes for a moment before gazing at them again. "How long is that going to be?"

"Another... for an a half months," she replied. "Then you'll be moved and get a month and a half to settle in the dormitories and have induction session and they'll figure out which job you should be trained for, then you'll start your education and training. Is there anything you'd like me to get you?"

"Can I have something to eat please?" he said quietly. Lucy nodded. "And something to read?"

"Mr Spears will fetch you something to read, I'm sure," Lucy said. William nodded quickly. "And I'll ask the cooks to bring you something up."

"Thank you."

She nodded and pulled William away. William followed reluctantly, noticing Ronald was watching them leave. She'd barely allowed him to talk. He wanted to stay with Ronald and comfort him and help him through. He remembered how terrifying his first few days had been. Especially with one of the older reapers, a certain redhead, constantly causing trouble and teasing him.

"I'll get you clearance to come and go as you please but you shouldn't interfere," Lucy said. "At least for now, let him grow up on his own. You know he's the same basic person, just without his memories, so I think you should try to avoid influencing him too much, at least until he's comfortable and stable."

William nodded. He supposed it made sense. They were going to talk about it as a division once they'd resurrected him. He knew there were going to be arguments over this. He went straight home and raided the bookshelves before he found Ronald favourite, most read copy of Alice in Wonderland. Grim was sleeping happily on top of it. He sighed and shook his head. It was almost midnight. It was incredible how fast everything had happened. He pried Grim off the book and put it on a shelf he hoped was out of his reach. Grim glared at him as he went to change out of his bloody clothes

"Don't look at me like that, Grim," he said quietly. "It's better like this. He's not going to suffer. It's better in the long run." He paused and frowned as Grim tilted his head. "What?" Grim padded across to Ronald's side of the bed and nudged the picture Ronald kept there of the division together. "Right, of course, I should check on those idiots first. Good boy."

He patted Grim's head and strode out, picking up Alice in Wonderland as he went. Lucy was waiting at the door to the building and she handed him a card. "That will let you get into the nursery and nowhere else, alright?" William nodded. "Good. Now, I've got to report to the others heads."

In the hospital there was absolute chaos. The doctors and nurses were trying to keep the damage caused by the demons under control and dealing with their own injuries. All reapers could fight and have a scythe. The Collection and Dispatch Department and Internal Maintenance Department got the best but everyone was trained. As a result, the doctors and nurses were perfectly capable of protecting their patients and some of the patients and visitors had defended themselves too. Still, high demons weren't easy to deal with. He came across Eric first, in a treatment office having a cut just above his eye stitched up, arguing about seeing Alan. He glanced up at William knocked on the open door and squinted slightly. The nurse smiled.

"Mr Spears. Come in. Is there anything you need looking at? I know everyone is over stretched, I'm almost done with Mr Slingby, I can check you out quickly."

"I'm alright, thank you. Dr Burns has already cleared me."

"William," Eric whispered hoarsely, gripping his glasses in his hands. "We tried to keep him safe, William but-" He stopped and gazed up at him. "The demons got Ron. They killed him. He was human and they ate his soul. We found him and he looked pretty much dead, he was bleeding I went to reap his soul but there was nothing. I'm so sorry."

"It's alright, Eric," William said. This was going to be awkward. He'd forgotten to think about what the others would think. "It wasn't your fault."

"Where did you go anyway?" he snapped. "You just vanished with Miss Rose and Dr Burns. We were left to clear up. Didn't you even check on Ron?"

"I'll explain everything once we're with Sutcliff and Alan," he replied.

Eric sighed and nodded. Once the nurse had finished with him they wandered out into the halls searching for Alan and Grell. They found Grell in the room Ronald's body was being kept in, holding his hand and sobbing quietly as the Undertaker patting his shoulder and comforting. It was obvious he already knew what had happened. He must have known he'd need to kill Ronald to resurrect him. He was very obviously a professional when it came to comforting those in mourning. Eric let out a shaky breath and strode over, brushing Ronald's bloody hair from his eyes. William could still see the tear tracking down his cheeks. It was so strange to see him lying there, dead, when he'd just left him confused and alone in the nursery.

"Ronald!" Alan cried from behind them. They all turned and Alan ran over. He stopped just a step away from the bed. "No... He's just sleeping... right?"

"Alan," Eric said gently. Alan shook his head quickly. "Alan-"

"We were going to save him," he whimpered. "We were so close to saving him. And those demons took him from us..." He wrapped his arm around himself and closed his eyes a few tears slipping down his cheeks. "How could this happen?"

"Alan," he whispered, wrapping his arms around Alan and drawing him into his chest. "Shh, it's ok, sweetheart. It's ok."

"No it's not! They ate his soul! We can't even bring him back."

"Are you ok, Will?" Grell said. William glanced away and Grell sighed. "I'm sorry, Will. We should have looked after him better."

"Mr Spears?" the Undertaker chuckled in almost a sing-song voice. "Are we keeping secrets again?"

"Like where the hell you went?" Eric snapped. "Shouldn't you have been protecting him? Instead you disappear and don't even think to check on Ronald? How could you leave him alone for those demons to feed off, knowing he'd soon be vulnerable to them?"

William's heart wrenched. He couldn't bare it any longer. "The demons didn't kill him." They all fell into a dead silence, staring over at him, expect the Undertaker who was laughing madly to himself. "I did."

His gaze fell on Eric. He was the one he knew would react most violently. And, as he'd expected, Eric launched forwards and swung for him. William stepped back and dodged aside easily, keeping calm and controlled rather than getting worked up like Eric was. Eric stopped and glared over at him.

"_You_ killed him?" he snarled. "You- you sit there saying how much you love him but you killed him. You fucking bastard. How could you do that?"

"It's not as if I wanted to," William snapped. "I _had_ to. If the demons got him, or if he died naturally, we wouldn't be able to bring him back. I didn't know until it was too late but reapers have to be _killed_. They can't die naturally."

"And you didn't think to tell us?" Alan said, glaring up at him. "We were here worrying about him. We were afraid he was dead and you've wandered off? Why didn't you tell us? He means as much to us as he does to you. Are you really so selfish you only thought about you? What about us? We were worried about you. We didn't know how we were supposed to tell you that Ronald was dead but you were too busy to give us a heads up."

"I didn't have time-"

"You didn't have time?" he said. "What was so important you couldn't tell us Ronald was _dead_?"

"Bringing him back," he said quickly.

Eric shot forwards and this time William didn't manage to get out the way before Eric landed a punch on his jaw, knocking him to the floor. William stared up at him, and Eric snarled.

"Just _when_ were you planning to tell us this?" Eric snapped.

"I was trying," he said, picking himself up and rubbing his jaw. "I'm going to see him now but he's in the nursery already." Alan nodded slowly and took Eric's hand, squeezing gently. "He's ok. He's a little confused and scared, but we all remember how that was." They nodded. "I've got temporary clearance to be with him but I'm not allowed to tell him what's happened. We need to talk about what we're going to tell him when the time comes. We'll do that tomorrow. And will you stop laughing?"

The Undertaker shook his head, doubling over and laughing harder. "You lot just bicker so much but you're somehow so close. It's rather amusing."

William sighed and turned away leaving the others calling questions after him as left the hospital and returned to the nursery. Ronald was finishing off his first meal, sitting happily in chair next to his bed. There were maybe a dozen other reapers there, none really talking and just keeping to themselves. Ronald smiled seeing him and set down the tray on the trolley in the middle of the room as William came over and sat on the bed. It was interesting that his hair seemed to now be naturally two toned. Perhaps, since that was how it was when he died, it was staying like that. Ronald scampered up onto the bed next to him and smiled slightly.

"Did you bring me something to read, Mr Spears?" he said.

William smiled at his enthusiasm and nodded, offering him the book. Ronald took it and looked it over. "It's rather popular, with all ages. It's considered one of those books everyone should read at least once."

"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland?" Ronald murmured, tilting his head slightly. "What's Wonderland?"

"It's the world she goes to," he replied. "Read it and see." Ronald nodded and opened the book but William caught his hand. His hair was annoying him. "Come with me. Let's fix your hair."

Ronald frowned then nodded and set the book down, letting William guide him across the room to one of the adjoining bathrooms. He shut and locked the door as Ronald turned to the mirror, playing with his hair. It looked so flat and dull. William stepped up behind him, picked up a brush from the side and gently brushed through his hair. Ronald was beaming at him in the mirror as he teased it up into something closer to its old flyaway style.

"Does it look better like this?" Ronald said. William smiled and nodded. "Mr Spears?"

"Yes, Mr Knox," he said quietly.

"One of the others said I was special because you stayed to talk to me," he said. "He said it's because I'm a pretty boy. What did that mean?"

William frowned. Were people putting that idea in his head already? Ronald didn't understand relationships yet so obviously he didn't know what it meant. He sighed and set the brushed down as Ronald turned to him.

"You are attractive, Mr Knox," he said. "People will tell you that you only get by on your looks, and people will try to take advantage of you. There will always be people who tell you that you don't deserve what you have and you only got it because of how you look or because you're having sex with a superior or any number of things, and yes, there will be people who will give you promotions or good grades in return for sexual favours, but that's up to you to do that or not. But I want you to know, I will never give you anything you don't deserve. I teach for the first few months and even as a supervisor, if you try hard and put in effort I will return the favour and put effort into teaching you."

Ronald nodded and smiled then frowned and tilted his head. "What did you do to your face?"

"Nothing."

Ronald frowned and reached up, gently cupping his cheek and sliding his fingers over the bruise already starting to show. William shivered slightly at his touch. He didn't know what he was doing. He didn't know what it was doing to him. Without thinking, he took Ronald's hand in his, gently kissing his palm. Ronald giggled slightly and leant up to gently kiss the bruise, accidently and innocently pressing against him. William knew what was going to happen if he didn't put a stop to it now. He pushed Ronald off gently and the little blonde frowned in confusion.

"Don't do that," he said firmly.

Ronald's eyes widened and he stepped back as far against the sink, lowering his head in submission, looking completely apologetic. Instantly William regretted it. He wanted to be close to Ronald but he couldn't take advantage of him when he was only a few hours old.

"I- I'm sorry, Mr Spears," Ronald stammered, blushing so cutely. William clenched his fists. Ronald didn't even know how incredibly irresistible he found that look or how hard William found restraining himself. "I didn't r-realise it would upset you."

"It's alright, Mr Knox," he said. "I know you're new to the world. You don't understand. It's ok. We learn by making mistakes. Don't do it again."

He nodded quickly and William turned away, opening the door and striding out with Ronald following on his heels. He couldn't do this. Ronald didn't understand what he'd done but William knew if he stayed too much longer he'd end up doing something he'd regret. This was going to take a lot of getting used to. He shut the door to the nursery and carried on walking, completely unable to stop himself. He needed to get away and calm himself down. It was all getting far too much. He'd manage. He'd have to. He just needed to sleep. It was late, it had been a stressful day, he needed to sleep. William nodded to himself. He'd come back in the morning and it would be better.


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N:** Go dawww for little newborn Ronnie. He's adorable. You just want to hug him so hard. Poor little Ronnie. And Will and Eric are yelling again. Lot's of yelling. So, thank you for your reviews and please keep them coming.

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><p>"Mr Knox," William murmured.<p>

Ronald turned quickly and smile nervously realising it was William. He'd been so embarrassed last night. William was trying to be kind and something he'd done to ruin that and couldn't even figure out what it was. It was just a relief William had returned to see him. He'd been so afraid William would never come back. The nursery wasn't exactly welcoming. The other dozen or so reapers weren't really sociable and there was nowhere to go. He'd been wrapped up in his duvet, sitting on the big bay windowsill, reading peacefully, wondering what the fluffy white stuff covering everything was. William was wrapped up in a warm coat and scarf as he came over.

He slipped off his coat and sat across from him. Ronald smiled. "I'm so glad you came back, Mr Spears. I'm really sorry for offending you yesterday."

"It's ok, Mr Knox," he said gently. Ronald smiled. "You didn't offend me. I was tired and reacted badly. I should have explained." Ronald nodded. At least if he knew what he'd done wrong he'd be able to avoid it again. "Contact like that is... you realise that contact like that is for people who are attractive to each other or who know each other well." Ronald frowned and tilted his head slightly but nodded. "And in an ideal world, people who are attracted to each other, end up in a long term relationship."

"Like those... romance books?" Ronald said. One of the girls was talking about romance, and being swept off her feet by a tall, dark, handsome man like William. Like a Prince Charming. "So, it's bad for me to do that with another man if we're not really close, like family? Because it makes it look like we're attracted to each other."

"No, it's not quite like that," William said. "Relationships between men aren't a bad thing."

"But men and women are supposed to be together."

"In the human world, yes, but in the reaper's realm relationships between men are quite normal," William said quietly. Ronald frowned, but nodded quickly, trying to take all this in. "That's why you shouldn't do it. We are not in a relationship. So you shouldn't do it. You shouldn't brush against me like that either. Being so close to someone gets them excited, understand?"

Ronald nodded again. He thought he did. It was difficult but he was pretty sure he had it. There was one thing that didn't make sense though. "Why did you kiss me then?"

"Because..." He sighed and turned his gaze out the window. "Because I do find you attractive, Mr Knox, even though I shouldn't. So it's never going to happen again and we won't talk about it anymore, alright?"

"W-why not?" Ronald said. He grabbed William's hand but William snatched it away. "Mr Spears?"

"You are a child, Mr Knox," William said, turning away. "You're not even a day old. It's against the rules."

"Oh." He turned back to the window. Just outside the Library grounds there were three reapers playing with the white stuff, throwing it at each other. It looked fun. "What is it?"

"What's what?" William said.

"The white stuff they're playing with," Ronald said.

"Hmm?" He glanced outside and sighed. "Bunch of children..." He glanced at Ronald. "They're the idiots I work with. It's snow. It happens a lot around here when it's cold. This is pretty light at the moment, the first snow of the winter."

Ronald nodded slowly. "It looks like fun. I wish I could go out and play with them." He frowned, noticing William shivering slightly. He unwrapped himself from the duvet and moved over to sit with William, lying over both of them and leaning against his shoulder. "Is that ok?"

"That's fine."

Ronald smiled and closed his eyes, slowly reaching over and taking William's hand under the duvet, sliding his fingers between his. It felt good to be next to William. He didn't know why but he was so comforting. He had a visitor. No one else seemed to get visitors. And no one else had anyone staying to talk after they woke up. He was obviously special. And William had said he was attracted to him. It was a weird thought but it felt right. William went to pull his hand away but Ronald held his hand tightly.

"Please," he whispered. "It's ok. No one can see, and it's not a big deal, is it?"

William nodded slowly and Ronald shifted slightly, turning so they were closer and after a moment William let go of his hand, reaching around his waist and taking his hand once more. Ronald blushed heavily and buried his head his shoulder.

"Mr Spears... I thought-"

"Shh," he murmured, resting his chin on his head. Ronald nodded and closed his eyes. "You should probably get some rest."

"I'm happy here," Ronald muttered. "It's ok for you to comfort me and help me sleep, isn't it? I mean, just holding me isn't against the rules, is it?"

"No," William said quietly. "Not at all."

Ronald smiled. It felt so good to be there with him. He hadn't slept well the night before but now he was happy to close his eyes and doze off in William's arms. The way William stroked his hair and the soft, rhythmic sound of his heart beat was just so reassuring.

* * *

><p>"Stop glaring, Eric," Alan muttered. Eric glanced back at him. "Come on, it's not such a big deal."<p>

Eric growled, glaring up at the window in the Library. Ronald was sitting there, curled up in the white duvet with William. The supervisor seemed to make a point of shifting the duvet so Eric could see his wrap his arm around his waist and take his hand but by the time Alan had looked back the duvet had been in the way again and it just looked like William was letting Ronald sleep on his shoulder. He picked up a ball of snow and chucked it up at the window. William glared down as Grell laughed but Ronald didn't seem disturbed by it.

"Stop it," Alan snapped, smacking his arm. "We're not supposed to be interfering."

"Tell that to William," Eric said, folding his arms. "He's up there groping him under those sheets. And why's he the only allowed up there to see him? That's just unfair."

"He's right," Grell said, grinding his teeth. "If we're not interfering, why are we letting him go and see him? I could comfort him better if he'd spend time with us."

"I doubt he wants you comforting him too much," he said.

Grell tossed a snowball that hit him in the side of the head. "Will doesn't know how much he wants me yet. And with Ronnie not remembering now he'll figure it out."

"Weren't you with the Undertaker?" Alan said quietly.

"With?" Grell laughed. "Who knows with that old guy? He's more on and off than Will."

"No hard," Eric muttered. "Since William's always off when it comes to you."

Grell glared over and stamped his foot. "How long's he going to be up there anyway?"

* * *

><p>Ronald moaned softly as William pressed his hips back against the desk, dropping slowly to his knees. He couldn't help watching as the older reaper pulled up his shirt, kissing down his stomach, running his hand teasingly over his hips, making his squirm slightly.<p>

"Darling, if you don't stop squirming I won't be able to give you your reward," he murmured, slowly unbuckling Ronald's belt.

"Oh," Ronald whined, tossing his head and stamping his foot as William's fingers brushed his firm arousal teasingly. "Boss, please. I worked so hard."

"I know you did," William said. "That's why I'm rewarding you."

"Honestly, you two."

"Eric?" Ronald's eyes widened as he turned to the older blonde as he strode over. "What are you-"

He stopped dead as Eric caught his chin, sitting on the desk behind him and slowly wrapping one arm around his waist, drawing him back against him as William glared up at him. Ronald squirmed and glanced between the pair.

"William? Eric?"

Ronald's eyes snapped open and he pulled the duvet up closer around him. William was gone. He blinked and glanced around, totally confused. What happened with that dream? That wasn't normal, was it? And why had William left? He snuggled up further. What was going on with William? It was so strange. And he'd never even met Eric. Why was he having dreams about someone he'd never met?

Something wriggled under the duvet and Ronald gasped and giggled, lifting the covers slightly. There was pretty much darkness then a pair of big green eyes opened and he jumped. Out the duvet popped a tiny fluffy white and black kitten. He smiled slightly and looked at the collar. _Grim_. He turned the tag over and his jaw dropped. _London_ _D&C Division 39B_. Wasn't that William's division? He'd looked at all the papers left around for them to familiarise themselves with. William T. Spears was the supervisor of the division currently ranked fourth in the world. This was their cat?

"Alright, Grim," he murmured. "You can stay 'til Mr Spears comes back to pick you up."

Grim curled up just under the covers, his head popping out and resting against his chest. Ronald smiled and rested his hand on his fur. He liked the kitten already. How he got there was a mystery, but he was cute and sweet, so that was fine, and he could use some comfort.

* * *

><p>"Oi," Eric snapped. William turned quickly. "We need to talk."<p>

"About what?" William said.

"About Ron of course," he said. "How come we don't get to visit him but you do."

"I'm going to stop visiting him," he replied quietly glancing away. "It's too difficult. I don't want to take advantage of him. It's too hard to keep from giving away too much."

"Then give me your security pass and I'll tell him everything." William growled and turned to glare at him. Alan quickly got between them as Eric stepped forwards. He wasn't letting Eric anywhere near Ronald in the condition he was in. "Why are you allowed near him and not me anyway? I'm not the one who murdered him, am I?"

"Eric, stop it," Alan said quietly, pressing his hands to his chest. "Just leave it."

"No, you want to teach him that sleeping around and getting drunk is a good plan," William snapped. "Look at the mess that got him in last time. If he listens to you he'll end up getting abused all over again."

"It wasn't my ex boyfriend who raped him," Eric snarled as Alan put all his weight against him to keep him at a safe distance. "I was the one he trusted enough to tell me what had happened. He was ashamed to tell you. What does that say about who he prefers?"

William clenched his jaw, adjusting his glasses with his scythe. "That you were the first person to ask and the only one in the room at the time. And I seem to remember if it weren't for Michelle and the Undertaker, your former _best friend_ and _hook_ _up_ would have done the same to Alan."

"You-"

"Eric!" Alan cried, forcing him back. "Stop it, both of you!"

"And didn't your job with the Midnight Branch almost get Ronald assaulted too?" William continued. "You put him in that position, not me."

"Why don't we just leave him alone and forget about him?" Grell said. They all turned to glare at him and he shrugged. "Well, he doesn't remember us. Why not just leave him alone and wait for him to grow up. Pining over him is just going to cause trouble." He grabbed William's arm and nuzzled against his. "You're in so much pain."

"Get off me," he snapped, shoving him off.

"We're not going abandon him," Alan said. "Look, I don't think we should interfere and try to mould him into what we think he should be but he's still Ronald. I don't want to just leave him and let him suffer if he needs us."

"Alright," Grell said with a sigh. "I was just suggesting. No need to bite my head off. So what are we going to do?"

"We're going let him grow up naturally," William said. "But we're going to keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't get abused like he did before. We can be his friends and be nice to him, but we're not going to try to change him, alright?"

They all nodded and Alan sighed. "I think we should all go for some coffee, don't you?"

He turned and strode down the street with Grell following slowly. Eric and William glanced at each other before slowly following the pair in an awkward silence. Finally, Eric spoke up.

"You know, I didn't mean... about Marcus," he muttered. "It wasn't your fault."

William sighed and shook his head. "It's alright for you to blame me. I should have known. I shouldn't have said that about what happened while you were in the Midnight Branch."

"You were right though," Eric said. "I got them in some really bad positions. And Michelle and the Undertaker kept saving my ass. You couldn't remember anything though. How were you supposed to know Ron was in danger?" William frowned and lowered his head. "He doesn't blame you. He's never blamed you for even a second."

"I know," he said quietly. "You're right. He did tell you first."

"Hey, so we were both out of line," he laughed. "We both just want what's best for him, don't we?" William nodded. "So, we should probably try to get on a bit more. Since, you know, this is Ron's second chance. We could both do things better, and he always hated us arguing."

"I suppose so."

"Hey," Alan said as they sat in one of the cafes near the offices. "Have you to made up again now?"

"Don't be silly, Alan," Grell chuckled. "That'll wait until they're alone so they can have, hot, angry make up sex." Eric and William glanced at each other, and Alan frowned, before both smacking the back of his head, jolting his head forwards to bang on the table. "Owww! What was that for? You can't hit a lady. How dare you!"

"You're not a lady, Sutcliff," William said, sitting down. "And you never will be. Stop referring to yourself as one."

"And you should get your mind out the gutter," Eric snapped. "There is no way in hell I would ever do William."

"Slingby's right," he said. "You should think about such things. Although I doubt he'd be the one on top."

"Excuse me?" he said, glaring over.

"Oh dear," Alan sighed. "Can we not have this conversation? It's not going to happen."

"Why not?" Grell giggled. "Everyone else has slept with Will."

"Shut up, Sutcliff," William snapped.

Eric smirked as their coffees were set on the table and William couldn't help a small smile. Just eight years ago he'd been closed off and isolated and Ronald had help bring him closer to the people he'd worked with for so long. They were his family. They'd always worked so hard for him and now they were even closer. It was a shame Ronald couldn't be with them anymore, but they'd get him back eventually. It was hard to ignore Ronald, how much he wanted him, but he had to. He couldn't take advantage of him at such a young age.

He still felt bad about leaving him there alone, but when he started moaning like that it was getting harder and harder to resist. He'd looked at the little blonde and been so tempted to just press their lips together, drag him into the bathroom, the only private, lockable room, and take him then and there. He couldn't do that. It had been agonising, and probably very confusing for poor little Ronald to wakeup alone, but he had to leave him. Not only was Ronald far too young and it would be taking advantage of him, but Eric was right. He had murdered him. What right did he have to Ronald after that? What made him think he deserved Ronald after killing him? He didn't. He didn't deserve to ever have Ronald again after that. Imagine if Ronald ever discovered what he'd done? He'd hate him.

William's heart wrenched at the thought. At the moment, Ronald was so sweet and innocent. He didn't know how cruel the world was, how much people would abuse him given the chance. He looked up to William. How much would it hurt him to know what he'd done? He'd struggled to sleep last night. Every time he closed his eyes he saw the look on Ronald's face when he realised William was going to kill him. How utterly heartbroken he was. It had been the only way though. Hadn't it? He tried to convince himself all the time, he'd done the right thing. He had no other choice. Why did everything he did seem to hurt Ronald more?

"Hey," Eric said, nudging his arm. "Cheer up. What's eight years so compared to forever?" William frowned and Eric smiled. "You two are meant to be together, William. You've always loved each other and if I didn't honestly believe that, I'd have put so effort into breaking you two up years ago."

Alan nodded quickly. "You two are perfect for each other. You could make anyone believe in soul mates."

"And this is coming from the poster children for soul mates," Grell said, grabbing William's arm and leaning against him. "You're so adorable together. And I'll keep you company until then."

"Get off me, Sutcliff," William snapped, pushing him away and Eric and Alan laughed.


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N:** And newborn Ronnie meets the gang. It's not a great first meeting. And bad, bad Grell. And bad Eric And bad Ronnie and Will. Tut tut. So, yes, basically Alan is the only one behaving this chapter. Thank you everyone and please review. Thanks for everyone who does.

* * *

><p>Ronald closed his eyes as William pulled him closer. He was officially a month old and it was time for his first check up. Apparently it was just a precaution to make sure he wasn't developing any problems. William had come with him, to keep him reassured and he'd seen another three reapers watching curiously from a distance. They had looked familiar and William told him they were the people he worked with. Ronald recognised one of them. Eric. The man from his dream. He hadn't told William about that. It was embarrassing. He wasn't supposed to have dreams like that. He didn't know Eric, and he barely knew William. Not to mention William had told him that touching each other like they had in his dream wasn't allowed. He wasn't supposed to talk about it again.<p>

"What's wrong, Mr Knox?" William said quietly as he slipped his hand beneath the duvet, wrapping his arm around his waist and holding his hand. Ronald smiled and leant against him. "You seem distracted."

"No," Ronald said quietly, wiggling away from him. William frowned and Ronald glanced away guiltily. He liked William holding him and being close, but William always seemed to leave suddenly. That didn't help. It always felt like he'd done something wrong. "I'm fine."

"You don't seem it," he said as the nurse left them. "Is something wrong? If there's something bothering you, it's of the upmost importance that you tell me. Anything we can do to make your time in the nursery more comfortable."

"It's nothing."

William sighed and gently turned William back around to face him, leaning down and lowering his voice, their lips brushing ever so slightly as he spoke, sending shivers bolting through Ronald. "If there is something upsetting you, I'd like you to tell me, Ronald."

Ronald tried to answer but his throat went dry as William stroked his cheek, pulling him a little closer, and his eyelids slid lower as William's forehead pressed against his. Why was he so close? He'd said they weren't supposed to touch each other like that, or be so close to each other. Their noses were touching as they gazed at each other and William's lips were hovering teasingly close. Every instinct told him to lean up and kiss him but that would just be so silly. It wouldn't be allowed, would it?

"Ronald, I..." William paused and frowned before he sighed and turned away. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..." He turned away and stood slowly, leaving Ronald staring up after him. "I shouldn't be confusing you like this. No wonder you're distracted. I'll leave you to rest."

He turned to the door and Ronald stared helplessly after him. Why did William leave like that every time things started to make sense? It felt so right to be next to William or in his arms. Every time he was around he wanted to curl up in his arms. He sighed and sat back on the bed until there was a knock on the door. They didn't even wait for him to call them in until the door slid open and Eric slipped in, shutting it behind him quickly. Ronald frowned and Eric turned to him with a grin. Ronald blushed slightly.

"H-hello?" he said quietly.

Eric grinned. "Hey. I'm Eric. Eric Slingby."

"Ronald Knox... apparently..." Ronald said, tilting his head slightly as Eric sat on the bed. "You're part of Mr Spears' team."

"William? Yeah, he's a real slave driver," Eric laughed, leaning back next to him. Ronald's blush deepened slightly and he quickly lowered his head. "But, he's so serious about everything. He gives one hundred percent in everything he does."

"You two sound close," he said, glancing away.

Eric laughed and nodded slowly. "I guess."

He sighed and closed his eyes until Eric kissed the top of his head. He turned to gaze up at him. "I feel like I know you."

"Oh?" Eric laughed, leaning against him and nudging his side. "Well, from now on, you're my little brother. I'm going to look after you."

"Why?" Ronald said quietly.

"Why not?" Ronald blinked up at him in confusion but Eric just smiled. "He likes you."

"It doesn't seem like it," he said with a sighed. "He keeps leaving whenever we start getting anywhere, like he doesn't want to get to know me or be near me."

"He does," Eric said, squeezing him around his shoulders. "The problem is, he doesn't want to push you. And you must know it's against so many rules for you two to be involved."

"I don't care."

"Maybe not, but it's William who'll get the blame. People already think he'd taking advantage of you." He grinned and pulled Ronald up onto his lap, he buried his head in his hair and Ronald giggled. Why did it all feel so right to be with him? "Here, I snuck something in for you." Ronald frowned and Eric offered unscrewed a small silver hip flask. "Well, the nursery is hardly fun. Poor little thing."

Ronald frowned but nodded slowly and took a drink before coughing as it burnt the back of his throat. Eric laughed and tilted his head, patting his back gently. "What the hell was that?"

"Brandy," Eric laughed. "It help, believe me. Just don't tell anyone I'm giving it to you." Ronald nodded and took another small sip, slowly getting used to the taste. "So, about William. Because I'm a nice guy, I'll tell you how to get hold of him."

"Huh?"

"Well, what you have to do is make it really obvious what you want." Ronald frowned. "Well, William obviously isn't going to make a move any time soon unless you do first." He nodded slowly and Eric smiled. "So, here's what you do to be so irresistible that William can't resist and you can pounce."

He leant down and whispered quietly in his ear. Ronald frowned. It sounded simple enough but it was kind of strange but he wanted to figure out what was going on with William and this seemed like the best way.

"Eric!"

Eric sighed and sat back. "My dear nagging wife is calling again." Ronald giggled slightly as Eric slid off the bed. "Keep the brandy. Have fun."

"Eric." A little brunette was standing in the door, glaring over. "How did I know you'd be in here? For heaven's sake, Eric, I told you not to interfere with the newborns."

"What'd I tell you?" Eric laughed. "Nagging."

"Nagging," the brunette growled, shoving him out. "I'll show you nagging. Get out. You know what William will say if he finds you in here. And I _warned_ you. You are in so much trouble, Eric."

"What are you going to do?" he said with a shrug. "You know I always win you back."

"You wait. Until you learn to do as you're told, you're sleeping on the couch. And you can keep your hand to yourself." The door closed and Ronald smiled to himself. "Don't look at me like that..."

* * *

><p>"Will!" Grell squealed, throwing his arms around William. "Why are we here? Isn't it too boring? Ronnie's fine, let's go."<p>

"Sutcliff," William snapped, shoving him off. "I don't consider Ronald to be fine and I want to stay, stop causing trouble."

He frowned as Eric and Alan came over, Alan striding ahead with Eric arguing with himself behind. Alan seemed to just be completely ignoring him. He sighed and leant back on the side. He'd been far too close to Ronald earlier. It wouldn't have been hard to lean over and claim his lips, to push him down and take him and the risks be damned. He couldn't though. His heart still belongs completely to Ronald and he would never look at any other being as long as he was still alive. Even if Ronald didn't know the hold he had over him and even if he didn't care or wanted someone else, William _knew_ he loved him more than he'd ever loved anyone. He'd never give up. He'd do everything he could to make Ronald love him again, but he wasn't going to take advantage of him.

Of course, he'd probably confused hell out of Ronald. He should really sort it out. He sighed and walked over slowly to Ronald's room, pushing open the door and finding Ronald grinning innocently up at him, cheeks slightly flushed and eyes hazy. He frowned and Ronald tilted his head slightly as he came over to the bed.

"Mr Knox," he said quietly. "Are you alright?"

"I dunno, boss," he murmured, taking a long drink from a flask. William's frown deepened and Ronald knelt up to grip his collar. "I'm kind of..." he tilted his head and rested his forehead against William's "...horny..."

"Excuse me?" William said, stepping back slightly.

"Mr Slingby said you want me," Ronald whispered, falling forwards so their lips were almost touching. "Mr Slingby said you wouldn't make a move unless I did first. And... the way you've been treating me... stop teasing me, Mr Spears, _please_..." He reached slowly around Ronald's waist, burying his hand in his hair. "William..."

He leant up and William pulled back slightly, keeping their lips hovering apart. He couldn't do this to Ronald. He couldn't. Ronald was a child. He was a month old. He _couldn't_. No matter how much he wanted to, this was so wrong. Ronald was pressed up against him, holding his collar tight, apparently drunk. This was Ronald's first kiss. How was he supposed to resist being Ronald's first kiss?

In the time he'd been taking to decide, Ronald had pressed their lips together, clumsily and nervously but so sweetly. William gave in and settled on the bed, pushing Ronald back slowly as Ronald's eyes fluttered shut, tangling his fingers into his hair.

"Mr Spears!"

He jerked back and turned to the door. Lucy was in the doorway, her arms folded, glaring over. He was in so much trouble. Ronald was staring up, panting softly. William climbed off the bed slowly and lowered his head. Sighing, Lucy turned, beckoning for him to follow but Ronald grabbed his hand before he could.

"Mr Spears," he whispered, gazing up at him apologetically. "I didn't mean to get you in trouble. I'm so sorry." William sighed and pulled his hand away. "Please, Miss Rose. It wasn't his fault. I kissed him."

William turned away and left the room quietly as Lucy glared over with him. "I'll deal with you first then."

Ronald lowered his head quickly as she shut the door, with William on the other side. Lucy was rather intimidating. He swallowed heavily as she adjusted her glasses and glared down at him. He'd got William in trouble and now he was going to get it too.

"Mr Knox, do you know why we keep newborns in the nursery as much as possible?" she said, folding her arms. Ronald shook his head slowly. "Because they are an eyes target for people who want to take advantage of them. It's not keep them safe. No one wants to see children get hurt. We want to keep you safe."

Ronald nodded slowly, closing his eyes for a moment. "I'm sorry."

"I know you are," Lucy said, shaking his head. "Mr Spears tries very hard to be good and be a good person. He's trying very hard not to cause trouble. I don't want to stop you two seeing each other, you're good for each other, but you need to control yourself. Mr Spears is a good man. I need you to realise, Mr Knox, that Mr Spears has his career and it's taken him years to build up. You actions, if taken too far, could destroy that. You'll recover, you're a child, but William will have these marks against him in his files." Ronald nodded quietly. He hadn't meant to get William in trouble. "Do you understand what I'm telling you?" He nodded again. She was telling him he had to wait. He had to wait. But who was to say William would still want him if he waited? "I'm glad. What on earth made you think that was appropriate?"

"Mr Slingby said-"

"You don't need to say anymore," she said with a sigh. "Now, I'm going to give you a piece of advice. Eric Slingby is a difficult case. Talented but lazy. I'm not saying he's a bad influence and Mr Humphries is a very smart, sensible reaper but he is not the sort of person you should be around at your age. You're impressionable. He's not the sort of person you should interact with too much until you're at least in the academy. So, try to stay with reapers your own age for now."

"Ok, I'm sorry, Miss Rose, I'll do my best," Ronald whispered. She smiled and nodded, patting his head. "Miss Rose?"

"Yes?"

"I have scars on my arms," he said, pulling up his sleeves. "And on my back. I'm only a month old, right? So, why do I have them?"

Lucy took his arm slowly as she inspected. He hadn't wanted to tell the doctors, they'd obviously seen them and not considered them important, they'd be more worried by a spot on his upper back, just above his heart, where there wasn't even a mark but they confused him. They were so big and nasty. He'd heard the others talking about reapers being reborn souls who had their lives cut short, they'd met an unnatural end. The scars ran along the arteries in his arms. Had he killed himself? Had he cut his arms open and let himself bleed to death? Whatever happened, he was a reaper now. Things would be different. He was going to work hard, get a good job and... and find someone special. The idea warmed his heart. He wanted someone special in his life. He wanted William in his life but he couldn't have him.

"A defect in your birth, Mr Knox," she said. "Nothing more. Nothing to be concerned about or the doctors would have picked up on them." Ronald nodded. "There are a lot of people already attached to you, Mr Knox. Don't let them down."

"I won't, Miss Rose, thank you," he said quietly.

"Good." She nodded and turned away. "The doctors are almost done. We should return you back to the nursery within the hour."

Ronald sighed and nodded as she left. He liked being out the nursery though. It felt good to be out there and to be out in the world. Leaning back on the wall, he drew the covers up around him, hugging them close. They weren't nearly as soft and nice as the ones in the nursery though. Ronald slid a finger down his arm, looking down the scar. Something made him tremble and he closed his eyes quickly.

Someone grabbed his hand and Ronald gave a sharp cry, eyes snapping open as he scrambled away, heart pounding against his chest in absolute terror. "Mr Knox?"

Ronald lifted his gaze slowly to find one of the nurses staring at him. He curled up on the windowsill and turned out to stare out at the landscape. Why was he suddenly so terrified? What was wrong with him?

"Mr Knox," the nurse said quietly, stepping forwards. "You're shaking. Are you alright?"

"What's going on now?" Dr Burns said coming in the door. "Mr Knox?" Ronald turned away and Dr Burns sighed, slowly walkover over. Ronald flinched away as Dr Burns reached out his hand. He didn't know why. Just every instinct screamed at him not to let him touch him. That he'd hurt him. He tugged at his sleeves absently and Dr Burns' frown deepened. "Fetch Dr Green."

"Yes, doctor."

She hurried out and Dr Burns sighed. "Are you ok, Ronald? What's happened?"

"I don't know," Ronald whispered. "Just leave me alone."

* * *

><p>"Miss Rose, please," William said, watching the door to Ronald's room over his shoulder. "Be reasonable."<p>

"When was the last time either of us was reasonable when it came to disobeying the rules, Mr Spears?" Lucy said. "You have to keep your lot safe and following the rules, that's your job. Mine is to keep you and Ronald safe and following the rules. Deal with it. You know how much trouble you're in."

"I know but-"

"But nothing," she snapped. "Mr Spears, you know I respect your skill and talent as a reaper. I love you're a good reaper, but honestly, you kissed him. You know how bad that is."

"I know, but Ronald's-"

"William." He fell silent and Lucy sighed. He knew how serious this was. He was so stupid to let himself get carried away. "Let the doctors work. You have bigger problems. Now, I will let this one slide, but if this _ever_ happens again I will bring the full force of the law down on you. You should know better by now, Mr Spears. Please, don't make me punish you for being so careless with your emotions."

William nodded slowly. "It won't happen again."

"I'm glad. Now I have to keep Slingby away from him." Dr Burns strode over and Lucy smiled slightly. "How is he? What happened?"

"He seems to have relapsed a bit," Dr Burns said quietly. "He seems to be having flashes. You know how many reapers have the sense of déjà vu, or automatically avoid things and have no idea why? It burnt into their instincts from their previous life. He's... reacting to people much like he did after his attack."

"He was looking at his scars earlier," Lucy said.

"There aren't any precedents for this," he said, shaking his head. "I don't know what's going to happen. None of us do. We have to keep our options open. It's still possible he'll remember everything. For now he's feeling things he doesn't understand and, quite understandably, it's terrifying the life out of him. I'm going to recommend that he continues seeing Dr Green, as he was before this entire messy incident. I don't know how much effect his previous life will have on him."

William frowned and gazed quietly at the door. He wanted more than anything to be there to comfort him. Ronald had been such a mess the first time, with all his friends to support him, how was he going to manage without them? He was desperate to return to Ronald's side and make sure everything was alright again but he was stuck outside. His poor Ronald, all alone and confused.

* * *

><p>"Get out," Grell hissed, glaring at the nurse handing Ronald a glass of water. "Now."<p>

Ronald blinked up at him and Grell grinned, making the young blonde shrink back against the wall. The nurse ran out as Grell bared his teeth and the second the door shut he advanced on the youngster. William would kill him if he knew what he was up to but that was ok. He put on a kind smile and sat on the bed. Poor little Ronald. He looked absolutely terrified and shaking like a leaf. A part of him was appalled that he was about to do this to his poor little Ronald, who really was, but then Ronald wasn't his Ronald anymore.

"Don't look so scared," Grell said, tilting his head. Ronald's eyes softened slightly with some sort of recognition. Good, that was a good start. "I'm Grell."

"R-Ronald Knox," he whispered and Grell flashed a grin, but it faded again and Ronald drew away. "Umm, wh-what are you-"

"Will talks about you a lot," he said.

Ronald's eyes widened. "He-he does?"

"All the time, darling," he laughed. "And your dear auntie Grell feels it's best to warn you."

"Warn me?" Ronald said quietly, staring up at him. "Miss Rose already told me about the rules."

"Not the rules, silly." Ronald frowned and Grell put on a kind, reassuring smile. "About Will?"

"What about Mr Spears?"

Grell grinned and leant closer, watching with delight as Ronald drew back as far as he could. "He's _mine_. He has been since we were in academy, and that's over a hundred years. I won't hold it against you that you're attracted to him. Many people are, but we've been side by side forever."

He hadn't needed to continue. After the first sentence, he'd seen it in Ronald's eyes. That sweet, naive innocence and hope just shattered. If he still saw him as _their_ Ronald he would have felt guilty, but he wasn't. He was just some _boy_ with his looks and his voice. Until he was _their_ Ronald again, he wasn't going to feel guilty. Besides, he'd learn the truth sooner or later. It would be an important lesson for him. There's always competition.

He got up and patted Ronald's head, noticing how he jerked away as he used to. "Well, just so you know."


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N:** I am so unwell at the moment. I've got the flu. It sucks. But its wearing off now. So, let me give you a nice long chapter of everybody being confused about their problems. Eric and Alan will return next chapter for you guys since they don't get much attention this chapter. So, be squealing over little Ronnie being so cute and confused and Grell being very very bad. So thank you for the reviews and please keep them coming.

* * *

><p>"Report jackets are not to be used as fans."<p>

Everyone in the office jumped and turned as William strode in. Even inside the office building, which had basic air conditioning, the heat was unbearable. The extreme reaper season had rolled around again after the spring reprieve. It was still early summer, but it was hot and dry and was only going to get worse. Grell set down the folder he was using to fan himself and slumped back on his chair, panting heavily and running his hand through his hair. He was in another short, light skirt that, while William was sure it kept him cool, was very much against regulation. He didn't understand Grell's longing to be a woman, but he'd stopped trying to argue decades ago. It wasn't worth it. Today least of all.

"And can we at least _try_ to look like we deserve our position as the best division in the country, though heaven only knows who decided that. Mr Humphries is the only one who looks like he's actually here to work. He also seems to be the only one doing his work."

"Awww, but Will, it's so hot," Grell whined.

"Yes, and it happens every year," he said. "It's not the first time you've experienced summer, Sutcliff, you're well over a hundred years old-"

"I'm _not_ old!"

William frowned and paused, getting the distinct feeling of déjà vu. He shook his head and carried on to his office. It wasn't worth thinking about any more. They probably had this same conversation every year.

"Get back to work."

Sitting in his office he turned to his work, quietly filling out reports, not interested in what they were saying out there. Since being caught with Ronald in the hospital, he'd become withdrawn and unsociable again. He didn't know what to do anymore. Without Ronald, he'd fallen back into old habits. He didn't want to listen to them anymore. He'd been interested in spending time with them before, he'd done it for Ronald's sake. He only put up with them for Ronald, nothing more. Without Ronald to get upset and huffy when he refused to spend time with the group, there was no need to be with them. He'd not seen Ronald again either. He kept meaning too and kept trying to but kept finding excuses not to. He didn't want to face up to what had happened.

"The academy year is starting early this year, isn't it?" Eric said from the other room.

"Oh," Grell said. "Is that why he's so grumpy? That means he'll have to face Ronald, doesn't it?"

"Shut up and work, the lot of you," William snapped.

Yes. It meant he had to see Ronald today. He was going to suffer through a lesson with the first years right after his shift today. It was killing him, the idea that he'd have to see Ronald again. He should have done it sooner. William had known the longer he left it the longer he left it, the harder it would be when the time came.

Unfortunately, it was all too soon for William when Alan came in with the reports and set them on his desk. "Would you like me to check them for you, Mr Spears? So you can get to the lesson a bit early?"

"Thank you, Mr Humphries," he said quietly, standing from his desk. "That's good of you. I suppose we should get to the academy a little early."

"It's no problem," Alan said with a smile, taking William's seat. "I wouldn't trust the other two with it, and you deserve a break today. Good luck with Ronald." William nodded slightly. "I'm sure you'll be fine, William. Don't you keep telling you? You two belong together. It's just a matter of time. Just wait until he's out the academy. You two will be together in no time."

William nodded again. "Good night, Mr Humphries."

"William." He turned at the door and Alan smiled slightly. "I know this is hard for you, believe me I do. When Eric was gone and I knew he was out there and alright, and that we were still very much in love, just out of each other's reach and... What I'm trying to say is that it's hurting us all but if you stay strong and leave him for now, it'll be better in the end. Think about if you get caught again, but if you say away from him for now, you'll be able to have Ronald back after he's left the academy." William nodded and turned away. "Happy birthday, William."

William nodded and strode out for the academy. When he arrived at the classroom, the students were already inside, all sitting around them, chatting and laughing amongst themselves. He took a deep breath before stepping in, trying not to look around for Ronald. Alan was right. If he stayed strong and let Ronald grow up on his own, then when he was an officer, he could try to get Ronald back. He dropped the text books on the desk with a loud bang. The entire room seemed to jump and the students fell absolutely silent.

"Good afternoon," he said, glancing around. There was Ronald. Sitting in the same seat he had previously. He didn't let his gaze linger though. "By now you should have had your inductions and assessments so I assume everyone here will be going into the Collection and Dispatch Department, at least for now. So, before we begin, don't think you can get away with coasting through this class. These lessons are some of the most important ones you'll ever go through. Those who pay attention in these lessons do better in later life. In the twenty five years I've been teaching I have only met one reaper who put in the effort and had the talent to get top marks in this class. It's not easy but if put in the effort you can pass. Those who pass this class are far more likely to get better paid jobs. Any questions to start off?"

There were a few long moments before a few students raised their hands slowly. The door opened and closed and William glanced over to see Lucy walking to the back of the class and slipping up onto an unused counter. William frowned before returning his attention to the class and picking up the seating plan.

"Burch?"

The blonde young woman lowered her hand. "What-"

"Stand when you're talking," William said firmly. She stood quickly and William nodded before striding over and straightening her tie. "And, unless otherwise told, you will be expected to adhere to the full dress code. I appreciate it's hot, you can take off your jackets and roll up your sleeves if you wish." There was a moment where the entire room pulled off their jackets and adjusted their shirts. "Good. Now, what were you going to ask, Burch?"

"What happened to the reaper you gave top marks to?" she said quietly.

William's gaze flickered up to Lucy who shrugged, obviously expecting him to make up his own answer. "He was in my division up until a little while ago."

"What happened to him?"

"He died," Lucy said and everyone turned to stare at her. "In the recent demon attack on the infirmary." William frowned and strode across the room to the bookcase. "I'm sorry, Mr Spears, but you've been ignoring that you need to grieve. Unfortunately, it's an uncommon feeling for reaper, a lot of them aren't sure how to react when someone they were close to dies."

"We're not here to talk about personal lives," William said, setting down a pile of book on the desk at the end of the rows. "Take one, pass them along. Put your name in pencil. Feel free to make notes inside but only in pencil. Any damage will be taken out of your allowances. Let's get to work, unless there are any other questions." Ronald looked like he was going to ask something, but dropped his hand again a moment later. William stood at the front of the class in silence, giving everyone a moment to write in their books and think of any questions before carrying on. "Good. Then I suppose we should begin with the basics of being a reaper, since in my experience they're incredibly scant on details in the induction, and we'll take it from there."

There were notes in Ronald's book. In a hand writing that seemed so familiar to him and rather similar to his own. On the first page there was a note in the top corner; '_Mr Spears' has coffee with milk, three sugars_', circled several times, like the previous owner had gone over it again and again, almost lovingly. He'd flicked over to the first section to find more notes. Lots more notes.

"Is something the matter, Mr Knox?" Lucy said quietly, leaning over his shoulder.

"There are already notes in my book," he whispered.

Lucy glanced down and nodded. "It's not a problem. Lots of them have old notes in from previous students, they might be helpful."

He nodded and returned his attention to what William was saying as Lucy returned to the back of the class. It was hard to pay attention. William hadn't been to see him since what happened in the hospital. It was almost six months ago. He'd watched hopefully every day for the first few weeks, hoping and praying that he'd come through the door and explain everything but finally he gave up. William wasn't coming to see him again. Obviously being caught by Lucy had shaken him. Or he didn't want Grell to find out. Whatever it was, the message was clear, William no longer wanted to be near him. And now he had to sit here in class and listen to him talk and watch him and wish he hadn't kissed him. He should have stayed cute and quiet and let William call the shots. Ronald didn't know how to make it right.

Ronald didn't know if he wanted to make it right. He didn't know if he wanted to be William's silly little bit on the side. He was with Grell, and he definitely didn't want to annoy _him_. He was having enough problems with people, without upsetting someone rumours said was psychopathic. Ronald leant on his palm, listening quietly and reading along as they went. The lesson moved well, unlike some of Ronald's lessons today.

When the lesson was finally done, William dismissed the group. It was their last lesson and lots of them took his time packing his things into his bag. Lucy was sitting on William's desk, flicking through the text books.

"Are you only here to be awkward and tease me, Miss Rose?" William said.

"William, we're off work," Lucy said, crossing her legs. "Lucy is fine. And I'm here to keep an eye on you. I'm not sure how trustworthy you are around your previous lovers." William frowned and Lucy smiled. "Well, I'm going to get a check up before a business meeting."

"You're disgusting," he muttered.

"And you're jealous, William," she laughed.

"Hardly."

Ronald dawdled until he was the only one left before approaching slowly. William glanced up as he came over before returning his attention to his desk. Ronald frowned and stepped closer slowly. "Mr Spears."

"What's wrong, Knox?" William said.

"In the hospital," Ronald said quietly. "You kissed me. Why did you kiss me back? You should have shoved me off. You should have told me how much trouble if would be. Why did you keep making me think-"

"Ronald-"

"Why do you keep doing this?" he snapped. "_Please_. You have no idea how confusing this is for me. I don't want to be some toy, some distraction. Just tell me why. Why me? Why was it me that you've wanted since the moment I was born? I don't understand. Why me?"

"Because..." He sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry."

"No. No more saying sorry or making excuses." He stepped back and shook his head as William reached for his hand. "Why me? Tell me!"

William turned and strode out, leaving Ronald staring out after him. He nodded and closed his eyes. He really _was_ nothing more than a toy to him. Nothing more than a student he could play with behind his lover's back. He picked up his bag and hurried out to the hospital wing. He had to see Dr Green and Dr Burns. Maybe they could explain what was going on with him and William.

Dr Green was already waiting and Dr Burns came in moments behind him, straightening his tie and pulling on his waistcoat. He smiled and shut the door, sitting across for Ronald and handing Dr Green a sizable folder. Ronald frowned. He didn't know his file was that big already. He'd been seeing Dr Green since his break down six months ago and things had been getting better, but still, it did seem a bit big.

"So, Ronald," Dr Green said, leaning back in his chair. "Your first day in the academy? How did it go?" Ronald frowned and tugged at his wrist, making the doctors glance between each other. "What's wrong, Ronald?"

"You know, before my breakdown, Miss Rose caught me and Mr Spears together?" he said quietly. They nodded. "Why do I still feel funny around him? Everyone says I've just got a crush on him but he kissed me back. I'm very confused."

Dr Green nodded. "Mr Spears knows better than to break these rules. And at your age, I'm afraid it really is likely to be just a crush. Many students have crushes on their teachers and officers you see around. It is not uncommon."

"So, why does he seem so fond of me too? I mean, what's wrong with his boyfriend?"

"What makes you think he has one?" Dr Burns chuckled.

"Mr Sutcliff said they were together, that they'd been together for a long time," he said. Dr Burns smirked. "What?"

"Oh, Sutcliff wishes they were," he laughed. "Sutcliff only wants to be with people he shouldn't. He's always wanted Mr Spears because Mr Spears wants to keep him as far away from him as possible. They're just not compatible as far as Mr Spears is concerned. It's not easy for Mr Spears. He's lost in himself and Grell probably thinks it's time to take advantage of him."

"I don't understand," Ronald said quietly.

"You remember before you were born there was a demon attack on the hospital?" Dr Green said quietly. "We lost over two dozen reapers, some patients preyed upon by demons in their weakened state, some perfectly healthy reapers defending their loved ones."

"Miss Rose said one of Mr Spears' division members died in the attack," he said.

"Yes," he said, tilting his head slightly. "A little blonde, barely in his twenties, such a waste of life." Ronald frowned. "Mr Spears held him as he died. There was nothing anyone could do. He and Mr Spears had been a couple for years, they were so in love."

"I look like him, don't I?" Dr Burns nodded and Ronald swallowed heavily. "We weren't here to talk to about him."

"We can talk about whatever you want, Ronald," Dr Green said. "This is your therapy session. We don't want you to have another breakdown, so whatever is making you feel bad. This is all about you." Ronald nodded slowly. "You should remember that you and Mr Spears can't be together for at least five years, probably eight. Most students have an academy sweetheart. Someone their own age to stay with."

* * *

><p>William closed his eyes, listening to Grell's nattering. He couldn't do this. How was he supposed to keep teaching Ronald? He was a struggling to keep control. And Ronald demanding to know why he wanted him? What was he supposed to say? Grell was in the kitchen, making him something to eat because he was worried about him. He didn't see why. He didn't want Grell's sympathy. Grim was playing up again. He didn't blame him. The change was upsetting the kitten.<p>

He opened his eyes again, swallowed the last wine what was his... well, he'd lost track of how many glasses he'd had since getting home, they all seemed to merge into one with the way Grell was constantly topping him up, and returned to slowly packing away Ronald things. He couldn't bring himself to throw them away like some people suggested. Just because Ronald could remember him didn't mean he was going to get rid everything they'd had together. He taped the box of books shut and pulled off the cap of the marker pen, marking it clearly. Grell came over and handed him a sandwich.

"It's not much," he said quietly. "But you're not eating recently." William sighed and set down the plate on the coffee table. "Will-"

"I'm fine, Sutcliff," William said firmly, picking up the box and taking it into the spare room. He was slowly tidying everything away into boxes and storing them there. He'd already packed away the photos of them together. Ronald liked them, so he kept them around, but now he was happy to have them, even if he wasn't going to display them. They were in a box in his wardrobe. "I don't want to eat right now."

"But Will-"

"You've never really broken up with anyone you've loved, have you, Sutcliff?" he snapped.

Grell frowned and shook his head slowly. Of course he hadn't. None of them really had. All William's relationships were serious, but he'd never been so certain of anything before. Ronald was the person who'd made him believe there was a chance someone could make him happy forever. He'd been the first person Ronald had really dated. He'd wanted to find someone to love but didn't really go the right way about it. Much like Ronald, Eric had been around a bit and never really found anyone important before Alan and Alan had been rather young and naive when he fell for Eric. Grell was just Grell really. That's why none of them had really known how to comfort Alan when Eric's faked death.

"It hurts, Sutcliff," William said bluntly. There was no point in being delicate about it. Grell only seemed to get it when he said things loudly and slowly. "Have you felt something so heartbreaking it becomes physically painful?"

"Yes..." he whispered. He glanced away and lowered his head weakly. "When I thought you were going to die last year." William nodded. "And when those demons attack Ronnie. I thought he was going to be like the others and never wake up when we should have been looking after him. I've given up feeling bad for Shelly. There doesn't seem to be any point anymore."

William nodded slowly. "I didn't really realise until now how painful this would be. I knew it had been hard been hard for Ronald, remembering everything while I'd forgotten. He was so patient and he stepped back and watched me with someone else, just because he wanted me to be happy, even though it was killing him. Why can't I do that? I just confuse him more and more every time my control slips."

"Oh, Will," Grell said quietly, resting his hands on his shoulders and leaning closer. "Ronald will grow up into a fine little reaper, and we can bring him back into our division. It'll be good again one day." He sat on the bed and hugged him close, much to William's annoyance. He'd given up trying to correct him on it but this time he was pretty much stopping his breathing. "And maybe he'll remember and it'll be sooner."

"Thank you for trying, Sutcliff," William said, pushing him off slightly. "I'm sure it will be alright."

"Of course it will," he laughed. "And until then, we'll keep you safe and happy as much as I can. We all want to help you. _I_ want to help you. A lady is always there for her favourite, handsome supervisor. I need to keep you safe."

William nodded. "I appreciate it. Well, most of it."

Grell smiled and William was sure he knew what was about to happen a few moments before he did, but didn't stop it. Leaning in, Grell cupped his cheeks and brushed their lips together. When William didn't push him off, he was a little too shocked and confused to shove him off, he seemed to take it as conformation he was ok with it and pressed their lips slowly together like this was some sort of romantic first kiss. William took a long moment to react before slowly kissing him back. Grell squealed and wrapped his arms around him as he pressed up against him, slipping into his lap and letting his eyes fall shut. There was no point resisting it anymore, was there? Ronald would never remember what they had. He'd never have the person he loved back. Why not settle for something easy?

Shoving Grell off quickly and stood up, turning away to stride out the door. "Will?"

"You're taking advantage of this mess?" William snapped. "For your own gain?" Grell opened his mouth to argue but William glared down at him. "Do you know why it would never work between us, Sutcliff? Why I loved Ronald more from the moment I met him than I would ever care for you? Because you don't give a damn about anyone else. You see everyone as someone to pander to you. You liked Ronald because he followed you around and looked up to you and you knew after we got together if you did anything to him it would look bad. So you put up with him. You know Eric would kill you if you did anything to him or Alan and even if you won't admit it, you're respect Eric's a good, powerful reaper and is easily able to match you in combat and capable of being just as cruel, heartless and merciless as you when provoked. You like that about him."

"Then why did you kiss me, Will?" he giggled, jumping up and wrapping his arms around his shoulders. "You want a bad girl to play with you, someone who can be rough with you and play your painful little games. I've heard what you did to Ronnie. You're so nasty inside, Will. Don't you want to see me hurting for you? I bet poor sweet Ronnie couldn't keep you. Oh, you're so bad, Will."

William growled and shoved him off back to the bed. "You see? You're still doing it, Sutcliff. You're not even listening. I don't _want_ you. I _want_ Ronald." He leant over and glared down at Grell as he squirmed. "And you just proved my point. I don't play '_rough_ _games_' because I enjoy watching others in pain or anything like that. I did it because Ronald asked me to. I did it for him. If you want someone to play games like that with you, you're dealing with the wrong person." Grell opened his mouth to argue but William shook his head. "Don't believe me? Check the box from the bedside table."

"Where are you going?" Grell called as William turned to walk away.

"I don't know yet, I'm just going for a walk."

He stepped out the apartment and walked slowly through the streets. What was he supposed to do now? Even in the darkness, the heat hadn't let up. William found himself going heading towards the academy. As always, they were in the mess hall having a huge party to mark the start of the academy year. Ronald would probably be there. Even so, he found himself wandering up to Ronald dorm room, the same dorm room he'd had the first time around.

As he approached, the door opened and a girl he recognised as a second year staggered out, giggling madly as she pulled down her skirt. Ronald's roommate came out after her, reaching for the door handle and pulling it closed but not quite getting it on the latch, too engrossed in the brunette second year pulling him down the hall. He went to call to him but paused and stepped up towards the door slowly, convincing himself he was just going to shut the door, for security. It was irresponsible to leave it open, but of course he should check to see if anyone else was in there first. He pushed the door open ever so slightly and smiled at the sight that greeted him.


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N:** Hehe, bad Will, distracting little Ronnie from his homework. Well, we all knew they wouldn't be apart for long. So, lots of cute Will/Ron, Grell being Grell and Alan ignoring Eric. Eric should have learnt by now that Alan is not to be argued with. You can't win. Oh, and Grim. Grim thinks they're all idiots. Especailly Grell. So, thanks for the rules, please keep them coming.

* * *

><p>Ronald sighed, fanning himself with a few sheets of paper and checking over his assignment once more. It looked good. He smiled and picked up the bottle from the desk. He wasn't entirely sure what it was, just that his roommate Liam had left it for him. It was so ridiculously hot. He'd almost have preferred to go back to the freezing winter. He'd pulled off his shirt and was sitting by the window as he worked. Even after sunset, it was still impossibly hot.<p>

He'd spent a while reading the notes in his text book. They were fascinating. During the lesson, he'd realised some of the notes belonged to William. But they were notes for the student who owned the book, even answering some of the student notes. His imagination had begun to get away from him. The book had obviously belonged to William's previous lover, the young officer who'd been given top marks. He could imagine William pressed against the blonde students back, leaning over him, whispering to him as he helped with the notes. Of course, all the attention William gave him made sense now. He wanted his young love back and Ronald looked like him. Was that better or worse though? He wanted to be special. He couldn't be happy as just a replacement for his previous, could he?

The door shut and locked but Ronald didn't look up. He could only assume it was Liam returning, although he had only just left. Maybe that girl had knocked him back already. He turned to ask what was happening but his throat went dry.

"Mr Spears, sir."

William strode over and picked up his papers from his hand, setting them down on the desk and pulling Ronald from the windowsill. Ronald closed his eyes for a moment, relishing being close to William as he shut the window and closed the curtains. Now he knew the truth, it didn't seem so bad to be close to him. He slid his arms around William's neck and gazed up at him, not completely sure what was going to happen next as William's arm slid around his waist, pulling him firmly against him. He really had no idea what to do now, just tangling his fingers into his thick, dark hair, waiting for William to give him some sort of clue.

"Ronald," he breathed huskily. Ronald shivered and tried to say something but couldn't. "I know I must be confusing you, and I'm sorry, but that's no reason to put yourself on display like that. I don't want you to see someone taking advantage of you."

"Like you want to?" Ronald whispered. William frowned and nodded slightly. "It's ok. I understand now. I know why. And it's ok. I'm ok with it."

"You are?" William murmured, stepping back towards the bed, not releasing his hold in the slightest. "I didn't think you'd be alright with it."

"It's understandable," he said, stretching up a little so their lips were only a hair apart. "Dr Burns explained everything. I mean, I was born just hours after you lost him, wasn't I? And I look like him, it's perfectly understandable that you'd find comfort in me. Even if Mr Sutcliff doesn't like it."

"Sutcliff?" He frowned and lowered Ronald to the bed so he was sitting against the headboard. "What's he got to do with this?"

"In the hospital, he told me you two were together," he said quietly.

William growled and shook his head. "He's an idiot. I want you."

Ronald nodded slowly and gazed up at William uncertainly, suddenly very aware that he wasn't wearing anything over his upper body. But then, he'd been born in nothing at all and William had been there. Heat rushed to his cheeks and he closed his eyes, lowering his head quickly as William's hand slid up his side.

"Sir," he whimpered, twisting slightly. "One of our first sessions was about not letting officers touch us like this. We're not supposed to do this."

"Then we'll have to be careful, won't we?" William said quietly.

Ronald was about to say something to argue but William caught his chin and guided him back around to face him gently. Opening his eyes again slowly, Ronald's words caught in his throat at the hungry but surprisingly tender look in William's eyes. He _did_ want William to do as he pleased with him, to take advantage of him no matter what the reasons for it. So what if William was just trying to fill a hole in his heart? At least he was here now and not ignoring him anymore.

William's lips slowly closed over his and Ronald whimpered slightly as a bolt of unexplainable fear shot through him and there was a twinge from the scars on his arms before he clenched his fist in William's hair and around his collar, not entirely sure why, but it felt right. All he knew was that he needed to be near William. He arched his back slightly as William slid his fingers down his spine, tracing his tongue slowly over his lips. Going pure instinct, Ronald closed his eyes and his lips parted slightly, squirming slightly at the strange sensation of William invading his mouth but moaning without meaning to as their tongues met. William chuckled slightly, rewarding him by sliding his hand over his chest, making him squirm and moan.

"I need you to promise me you won't say a word about this to anyone, Ronald," William said quietly, their lips brushing as he spoke. "Promise, Ronald. This has to stay between us."

"You make it sound like this is going to be a regular thing," Ronald whispered.

"Why shouldn't it be?"

Ronald frowned and before he knew it William had twisted them so Ronald was settled in his lap, their mouths moving together once more as William slid his hands down his spine making him arch his back and mewl softly. He didn't know what was happening, why he felt so in love with him. Like William was his entire world. And yet, so... betrayed...

Pulling away quickly, he stared down at William. He didn't understand. Everything felt so wrong. William watching him silently, looking as confused as Ronald felt. He didn't understand how he could feel so hurt. They'd known each other less than a year, William hadn't really every betrayed him. When he'd left him alone and isolated and when he'd thought he was using him behind Grell's back he'd been hurt, of course he had been, but he'd never felt so betrayed.

"Darling," William whispered. "What's wrong?" Ronald jerked back as William reached for his cheek. "Ronald?"

"Tell me about him," Ronald said quietly. William frowned. "The boy I'm replacing. Tell me about him."

"We were together for eight years," he said quietly. "Then, about a year and a half ago, things changed. He was never the most stable person in the world, but I loved him. More than anything, I loved him. Then he was attacked... raped..." Ronald frowned and William glanced away. "...and almost killed. I tried all I could to keep him together but I couldn't. He was falling apart. I tried to keep safe but he was hurting too much. I thought he was getting better, I honestly did think he was recovering. Next thing I knew he was captured by demon and they slipped in using his pain to brainwash him."

"I'm so sorry," Ronald whispered, playing gently with his hair.

"I never stopped hoping and searching, but by the time he returned to me, it was too late. The demons viewed him as a traitor after he murdered Lucifer and hunted him down to our hospital." Ronald nodded slowly, suddenly feeling so bad for him and rather guilty for having doubted him. "I loved him dearly but when he was turned, I began to lose hope."

"Mr Spears, sir..." He sighed and leant forwards, gently resting his forehead against William's, his heart wrenching, and slowly pecking his lips, trying to be reassuring and apologetic. "I can't imagine how painful that would be."

"It's alright," William murmured.

"I want to be with you, Mr Spears," Ronald whispered as William stroked down his back. "I want to make you feel better, if I can help you, I want to but I don't want to be some replacement or bit on the side."

"Of course," he said, nodding slightly.

"I can't imagine what you've been through," he said. "And I hope I will never have to suffer like that. I don't think I could ever replace someone you obviously loved so much but I don't want that. I want to be yours, Mr Spears. I don't understand why but I know I want this." William nodded slightly, drawing him closer. "I want to be yours but I need you to be mine too. I-I don't know if this is making any sense."

William smiled gently, reaching up to stroke his cheek as he blushed in that incredibly endearing way, leaning into his touch. Was this what Ronald would be like if he hadn't been so abused? The same longing for love and affection without the belief he could only get it through offering himself up readily. He had standards and self-confidence. He hoped he was a playful as before. Gently stroking Ronald's hair from his eyes, William leant up and kissed his lips gently.

"It makes perfect sense, Ronald," he murmured. "I don't do anything by half, Ronald, I give my all in everything I do. If you're willing to do the same, then I promise I won't ever treat you as just a replacement. All we have to do is keep this quiet and not get caught." Ronald's blush deepened and he nodded slightly, his eyes half closed and a small smile on his lips. "Is that ok, darling?"

Ronald nodded again and pressed their lips together again, tangling his fingers into William's hair, their bodies pressed together as he moaned softly. A sudden rattling of the door parted them and William glared at the door. Why did someone always interrupt just when he wanted it least? William sighed and stood slowly, giving Ronald parting kiss before snatching the bottle of alcohol from the side and unlocking the door and striding out.

"Don't let me catch you with alcohol in your room again, Knox," he said, giving Liam as stern glare as he went passed. "I'd hate to see a promising student suspended so early on. And for heaven's sake, put a shirt on."

"Y-yes sir. It won't happen again, sir."

William smiled to himself as he strode through the halls of the dorms, back towards home. Hopefully Grell would be gone by the time he got there. He didn't want to have to deal with that mess again. It would be easier now though. Ronald was here. Ronald was still his, tenacious as that hold was. He smiled and straightened his tie. His darling Ronald was six months old. Perhaps now he could start getting better and returning to a lifestyle that made him happier. He had been withdrawing into his old habits but he had to admit, being alone didn't make him happy.

Grim was lounging around on the arm of the couch when William stepped in and slipped off his shoes next to Grell's. He was _still_ there. How disappointing. He sighed and Grim blinked up at him lazily, as if thinking the same thing he was.

"Will?" Grell called. "Is that you, dear?"

"Why are you still here, Sutcliff?" William said.

"I've been looking through Ronnie's old stuff," he giggled. "I could use some of this." He sauntered out and leant against the door frame, his hair pulled up into a bun with strands hanging around his face as he played with a black silk ribbon. "What do you think, Will?" He smiled and slid his hand up his thigh, slipping the puffy little skirt higher to reveal the stockings. "Don't I wear it better than Ronnie?"

"If Slingby saw you in that he wouldn't be impressed," he said, glancing down at Grim who looked just as unimpressed by Grell in the maid's outfit. Grell frowned. "Alan leant it to Ronald and he just never gave it back."

Grell giggled and hurried over, throwing his arms around William. "Now your head's cleared, let's go to bed. Let's go and have some fun. You can punish me for being so forward earlier."

William pushed him off as Grim glared up and strode out to the spare bedroom. Grim followed on his heels, shooting Grell a dirty look over his shoulder at the same time as William did. The box with Ronald's things from the bedside table were in had been opened up and Grell had obviously been through them. William sat on the bed and Grim hoped up next to him as Grell hurried in, bending over to inspect the box again.

"Who'd have thought sweet little Ronnie was so bad?" he chuckled, picking up one of pairs of shackles. "Or that you want to be chained up and dominated. You want to be chained up and told what to do, don't you?"

William adjusted his glasses and glanced at Grim who rolled his eyes and laid down on his paws which something of an exasperated sigh. Shoving Grell off, William snatched back the shackles. "Ronald enjoys that sort of thing. Who knows why? I just wanted to give him what he wanted."

"He's gone," Grell purred, leaning over and cupping his chin so their lips hovered inches apart. "He doesn't have any clue. He's gone and remembers nothing about us. Let him go. I've always been here for you."

"Did you hear me earlier, Sutcliff?" he snapped, slapping his hand away and swinging his scythe, the jaws snapping out either side of his throat. "And you told Ronald we were together? Stop interfering!" He smacked the side of his head with his scythe, knocking Grell to the floor. "I still love Ronald, no matter how much you try to ruin that. Now take that off and get out."

Grim growled, puffed out his chest and seemed to nod in agreement, before following William out to the kitchen for his last feed of the night.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Ron," Eric laughed, wrapping his arm around Ronald's shoulders. The little blonde laughed and turned his head up to grin at him. "You're in a good mood. Something I should know about? I can't have my little brother keeping secrets from me."<p>

Ronald giggled and leant back against him, blushing bright red. "I can't kiss and tell, Mr Slingby."

"Come on, Ron," he said. "Just Eric. And I won't tell anyone. It'll stay between you and me."

"How'd you even get in here?" Ronald said. "It's an academy party."

"I mentor loads," Eric replied with a shrug, resting his chin on his shoulder. "Lots and lots of mentoring. I'm allowed in pretty much all the time. So, who is this mystery supervisor who you've had a crush on for months and have finally got your hands on?" Ronald frowned and glared up at him as he turned even redder and Eric kissed the top of his head. "Don't worry, I won't say a word, I promise."

"Thank you, Mr Slingby- uh, Eric," he said quietly, lowering his head.

"No problem."

"Eric." They turned to Alan approaching through the crowd. He glared up at Eric who grinned. Alan frowned and grabbed his collar, pulling him away from Ronald. "I'm sorry about him. He doesn't get the idea of personal space."

"Sweetheart-"

"Shut up, Eric," Alan snapped. He smiled at Ronald. "If he keeps pestering you, let me know." He turned and pulled Eric towards the door, leaving Ronald looking confused behind him. "You are impossible, Eric."

"You can't honestly expect me to just ignore him," Eric argued.

"Ignore him, no," he said. "Stop going out your way to interfere, definitely."

"But-"

Alan turned to glare up at him and Eric fell silent. Narrowing his eyes, Alan practically hissed at him. "We will talk about this at home."

Nodding quickly, Eric strode out with Alan glaring at his back and following behind. Alan shut the door to their apartment slowly and Eric turned to him, putting on his best smile. He was going to have to squirm his way out of this. Alan wasn't going to make it easy for him either.

"Sweetheart," he said quietly. Alan glared up at him. "Now, come on, you can't expect me to ignore him entirely. You know he's out Ron, we can't just leave him." He sighed and took Alan's had slowly. "You understand, don't you? You want him to be ok, don't you? You can't blame me."

Alan snatched his hand away. "Eric, we can't interfere. I keep telling you that! Please, Eric, listen to me. We have to let him grow up on his own. Keep him safe, but let him grow up naturally, what's wrong with that?"

Eric sighed and nodded slowly. He supposed he was right. He reached down slowly and wrapped his arm around Alan, leaning in for a kiss only to be pushed away. "Al-"

"Not until you start listening to me," he snapped. "I know it's hard but it's for the best. You have to understand that. It's what's best for Ronald, and we all want that. Come on, let's go to bed."

Eric nodded and followed Alan back into the bedroom, changing for bed and slowly joining Alan under the covers. Reaching around, he wrapped his arms around him tightly, leaning down to kiss his neck but Alan shoved him off.

"I told you not to go to that party," he snapped. "You went and were all over Ronald. You're not getting any tonight."

"You're so mean, sweetheart," Eric murmured, lying back in the pillows and settling snuggle up against him.

"Yeah, but I'm the boss," Alan said with a small smirk. "If you remember that, and you're a good boy tomorrow, I might change my mind."

Eric laughed and closed his eyes. His dear little Alan was considered sweet and cute and mothering by everyone and Eric was far too brutish and rough. That was what made them such a cute couple apparently. That kind, intellectual and apparently prudish Alan had tamed Eric's wild, rough promiscuous nature and Eric loved him so dearly he was so devoted to looking after him and loving him. While that was partly true, Alan was by no means weak and protected. Eric didn't like being rough with him, but Alan was, as he'd pointed out, the boss. He knew exactly how to get Eric pandering to his every whim and the best ways to making him regret disobeying him. But of course, that was one of the many things Eric loved so much about him. He smiled and kissed the back of Alan's neck and pulled him closer only for Alan to smack his chest and push him off.

"No, Eric."

Eric pouted and let out a snort. "Fine. I wasn't in the mood anyway."


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N:** Lot's of cute Will/Ron for you this chapter. Lots of fun. And finally Ron learns some of the truth. And I wonder what's coming next chapter? Any one get the same feeling I do? Thank you for the reviews and please keep them coming. And, just to tease you, I might have an extra surprise for you lovely people in the next day or two. Watch out for it.

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><p>"Mr Spears," Ronald said quietly, knocking on the office door.<p>

William turned and Ronald smiled nervously. "What is it, Knox?"

"Umm..." Everyone in the office was staring at him. It had been a week since his training had started, and William had been in his room, and they'd barely said two words to each other. "I've got my assignment, you told me to bring it up. I'm sorry it's late."

"Come with me," William said, turning to his office.

Ronald nodded and followed him into his office. As he passed Eric's desk the bigger blonde gave him a thumbs up, only for Alan to smack his arm and shoot him a firm glare. As they entered the office, William locked the door and pulled the blinds.

"Mr Spears?" Ronald whispered. "I-I really am sorry about being la-"

William silenced him firmly but capturing his lips and pressing him back against the desk. Ronald moaned softly and wrapped his arms around William's neck, pushing happily against him, letting William lift him onto the desk. At least that cleared up any confusion about whether William still wanted him.

"I'm sorry I've not had time to see you recently," William murmured between kisses. "I've not been able to get away."

"That's ok," he whispered as William took the assignment from him. "We have to be careful, don't we?"

"We do," he said quietly. "So, since you were late with your assignment, I'll mark it down, shall I?"

"Umm, ok."

William returned to his chair and beckoned Ronald over. He paused for a moment before slowly walking over standing in front of him. William pulled him down onto his lap and let him rest his head on his shoulder as he pulled the chair back up to the desk. Ronald smiled and laid against him as William pulled out his pen to mark his assignment. As William slid his fingers down his stomach to his waistband, Ronald whimpered and closed his eyes, heat rushing through him.

There was a bang on the door and the lock turned. "There are only two reasons you lock your door, Mr Spears."

Ronald's eyes snapped open and he went to get off William's lap as Lucy shut the door, hiding the scene from the others in the office, locking the door again. William held him tightly in place and rested his chin on top of Ronald's head. Sighing slightly, Lucy sat across from them. Trying to stop himself trembling, Ronald shut his eyes and buried his head in William's chest. There was no way they were going to get away with this again. She was one of the higher ups, she couldn't let this go, could she? William was going to be in so much trouble, they'd been taught about this. William could be suspended, or transferred away or... or locked up...

"We've talked about this, Mr Spears," Lucy said quietly. "Honestly? Why do you have to keep this up? Do I have to watch you all the time?"

"I'm not letting him go, Miss Rose," William said, shaking his head. "Not again."

Again? It didn't matter, he'd ask William about it later, right now he had to worry about not letting William get taken away. Not when he was finally where he'd wanted to be all his life. He needed to figure things out with William. Ronald opened his eyes slowly to see Lucy adjusting her glasses. "Mr Spears-"

"Miss Rose," he argued. "I understand this is against the rules, but this isn't a normal case."

"Why because it's you?" she snapped.

"Because it's him," he said. Ronald frowned and gazed up at William. What were they talking about? "We're not doing much. I'm not taking advantage of him."

"He is a student and you are an officer," Lucy said, folding her arms. "That is quite clearly against the rules."

"Please, Miss Rose," Ronald said quietly. "We haven't actually done anything. We're just spending time together."

"How far _have _you gone? Honestly?"

"We've just kissed. And like, only once or twice. I swear, it's not a big deal."

Lucy frowned and stood, leaning over the desk to glare into his eyes. "And you swear to me that's it? He hasn't touched you at all?"

"Well, he's holding me right now," Ronald said.

"You know what I mean, Mr Knox."

"This isn't an interrogation, Miss Rose," William snapped. "I can promise you, I haven't done anything. I wouldn't-"

"William!" she said sharply. William fell silent and glanced away, adjusting his glasses at the bridge. "I am surprised at you, Mr Spears. Please, you know I don't want to punish you." She sighed and shook her head. "This _mustn't_ go any further, _please_. If you carry on like this it won't end well. Promise me, both of you. Emotional relationships are fine, but it cannot become physical, if I hear even a rumour that you two have gone any further I will be forced to take action."

"Thank you, Miss Rose," Ronald whispered, smiling slightly.

"Thank you," William said.

"You'll be working three hours over time before your shift tomorrow, Mr Spears," Lucy said, turning away. "Don't let me catch you two again."

She left quietly and Ronald closed his eyes as the door locked again, letting out a sigh and leaning against William's chest. That was far too close. William was stroking his hair with trembling fingers and Ronald smiled. They were ok. They could be together as long as it didn't go any further. William's objection were playing on his mind though. He said _again_. He said he couldn't let him go again. Was he just thinking of his previous lover? Or was there more?

"Are you alright, Ronald?" William said quietly. "She can be a bit scary when she's working. Maybe we should carry on later, I'll come and get you from your dorm room after my shift."

"Al-alright," Ronald stuttered. He could ask William about it then. Standing slowly, he offered William an awkward smile. "I'll see you later then."

William smiled slightly and tugged him down by his tie, pressing a brief, parting kiss to his lips before waving his hand dismissively. "Go on. And if you keep quiet, we might be able to carry on where we left off." Ronald nodded and hurried to the door blushing furiously at the implications. He knew William had been about to slip his hand lower when Lucy had come in. He opened the door and all eyes fell on him again. "I should have your assignment marked by then. It had better be perfect, Knox." Ronald stopped and glanced over his shoulder. William's eyes were hidden by the light reflecting off his glasses. "I don't expect you to hand anything in late again."

"Y-yes sir," Ronald called over his shoulder. "It won't happen again, I swear."

Barely a few minutes after Ronald left the others burst into William's office. Something was going on and they weren't going to take nothing for an answer this time. William sighed and glanced up, sitting back and setting down his pen, obviously expecting questions.

"How is he?" Alan said quietly.

"He's alright," William said. "He's been better but I suppose he's growing up. It's to be expected."

They had more and more questions but William managed to deflect them all without giving anything away. After a while, he managed to get rid of them and finish his work. He hurried out as quickly as he could, grabbed Ronald from his dorm room with the excuse of extra training as punishment for being late and led him around the back way to his apartment. Lucy was sitting on the stairs as they came up, blocking their way, lounging back across the stairwell, her hair loose around her shoulders and in a pair of tight shorts, ankle boots and a black shirt unbuttoned to reveal a white vest.

"Miss Rose?" Ronald whispered, hiding behind William slightly.

"Lucy," she said, sitting up and swinging her legs out their way. "Don't worry, we're off duty."

"I can tell," William muttered, heading upstairs, guiding Ronald by the hand. "Why are you so dressed down, Lucy? And on the stairs?"

"Waiting for my darling doctor," she said with a grin. "Don't mind me, as long as you two behave, I don't mind. And try to remember I can hear what you get up to, William." She smiled and winked as the door opened and Dr Burns waved up. "Just behave." She stood and pinched Ronald's cheeks. "He's a good man, Ronald, don't make me hurt him. Don't get carried away. I want you to still be cute and innocent when I get back."

Ronald waved slightly as she ran off but William tugged him on up the stairs to his apartment. "I think she's scarier off duty, sir."

"Ronald, you don't have to keep calling me sir," William said with a small smile.

"You get this look in your eyes when I do," Ronald said quietly. William frowned. "You like it."

"But you don't need to do it all the time."

Ronald nodded and William unlocked the door. There was a thud and William sighed, shaking his head. As he opened the door, Grim scurried around him and jumped up at Ronald, mewling loudly. Ronald smiled and picked him up gently, patting his head.

"So you are his, huh?" Grim purred happily and snuggled up against him. "You have a kitten, Mr Spears?"

"William is fine," William said, stroking Ronald's cheek. "And yes, he's mine. He found us about... nearly two years ago, I suppose." He smiled and scratched Grim's ear. "Sometimes, he's all I've got to remind me of _him_. I kept all his things, I can't get rid of them, but..." He sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry, you don't want to listen to me talking about him."

"No, it's ok," Ronald said quickly. "I don't mind. You obviously miss him."

"Come on, Grim, food," he said. "I'll be done with him in a minute. You can look around if you want. You look a little overwhelmed." Ronald nodded and wandered into the spare room as William fed Grim and patted his head. "Don't ruin this, Grim. He doesn't remember anything and he's not allowed to. Please don't ruin this. If he remembers, he'll be taken from us forever."

Grim mewled and returned to scoffing his food as William turned to the spare room. In the spare room, Ronald was looking through the box Grell had opened up. A few of the shackles, hand cuffs and a silk restrain Ronald was very fond of were spread out on the bed but his attention was on the box containing the Alice costume. His hands roamed it slowly, especially the dress and bracer. For the first time in months, when Ronald had worn that for him, he'd been comfortable enough to leave the bracers off. William smiled bitterly and Ronald glanced up with a small smile.

"He must have been fun," he whispered. "I take it you're into whips and chains and stuff? Punishment and power and stuff? That's what people say when they talk about you like that at the academy. Everyone things you'd be so rough and into bondage."

"Lots of people think that about me," William said quietly, sitting on the bed with him. "I don't deny I get stressed and can be rather rough and controlling." He smiled and picked up the sky blue silk, twisting it in his hands. "He liked that, he liked to be the one thing that could make me lose control." He took Ronald's hand and guided him back out to the couch, settling him in his lap. "I preferred to make him squirm and stutter. He was such a confident little boy, he needed to be taken down a peg or two sometimes. Luckily, my needs and his often coincided."

"I suppose that's good," Ronald said quietly.

"You don't want me to talk about that though," he said quietly, kissing his lips.

Ronald smiled and William pulled him down, pressing their lips together, tugging Ronald closed so their bodies rubbed together. The blonde's instincts seemed to kick in and he moved on his own, rocking his hips against William's as their tongues moved together. Moaning softly, Ronald tangled his fingers into William's hair and William stroked his back, gently patting his rear. Ronald giggled and squealed slightly, wiggling in his lap making William grunt and buck his hips slightly. To his pleasure, Ronald tossed his head, breaking their heated kiss and gasping for breath, moaning again. William wasted no time kissing from his ear to his jaw before finally recapturing his lips, tugging him back against him as he trailed his hand down Ronald's chest, sliding off his jacket and waistcoat, and pulling open his shirt and tie. Ronald blushed heavily and pulled back. Of course, William waited. He didn't want to rush the little blonde. This whole thing had to be completely consensual, it had to be one hundred percent and Ronald couldn't have any doubts. He didn't think he could stand it if he scared Ronald off by moving too fast. Stroking his cheeks gently, he waited for Ronald to give him some sign of what he wanted.

"You said again," Ronald whispered. William frowned. "You said you wouldn't let me go _again_."

William's eyes widened and he realised Ronald was right. He'd said again. He'd told Lucy he would let go of Ronald again. He stared up at Ronald, completely lost for words. He didn't know what to say. He drew his hands away slowly and turned away from Ronald's intense gaze. Deep down, he couldn't push down the stop himself wondering if this was the end. If he'd lost Ronald forever with that one slip of the tongue. Had he ruined it completely?

"Ronald, I'm so sorry," he breathed.

"Tell me."

"We were lovers, before you became a reaper," William said slowly, adjusting his glasses. "After I lost him to that darkness, to the demons, I needed someone else. I fell in love with human I was supposed to reap. At first, you were just a way to get over him, you were every I loved about him, so I thought once wouldn't hurt before I reaped you. Only... the way you looked at me, the way you smiled, I spared you and arranged to meet up again." It was kind of true. William seemed to have a split personality once he'd become a hybrid and he couldn't tell him the truth. "You made me so happy. And I kept getting you spared. Until, finally, we had no choice. I had to reap you but that was ok. You didn't die of an illness this time. I know it sounds stupid and cruel but if you died of natural causes, of an illness, you were completely lost but because you were murdered, your life was cut short, you were allowed to be reborn, as a reaper."

He glanced up at Ronald who was pale and wide eyed. After a moment, Ronald staggered up turned away, picking up his stuff and doing up his shirt. William's heart wrenched. He'd blown it. He was going to lose him! He got up quickly and caught his hand.

"Ronald, I know you're angry and confused, you have every right to be, but-"

"You used me," Ronald snapped, snatching his hand away. He whimpered and fell back against the kitchen counter, slipping to the floor, burying his head in his hands. "I was some happy little replacement for him. And when you couldn't have him you decided to resurrect me as your perfect little lover?"

"No, darling," William said desperately, kneeling in front of him. "No, it was nothing like that. I swear. At first, maybe, but you quickly became so much me. We were so happy together." He sighed and rested his forehead against Ronald's. "Please, believe me. I was so in love with you. We were so happy together. I just wanted it to be like that again. Somewhere that didn't look down on relationships like ours. Somewhere we could be together openly eventually. That dress you were looking at... it was yours. You wore it for me."

"Why should I believe anything you say?" he cried. "You say we were happy, how do I know that?"

Grim mewled and William turned to see him pulling a photo frame over. He took it slowly and smiled offering it to Ronald. "Because it's the truth."

Ronald took it slowly and his eyes widened. It was one of William's favourite pictures. He and Ronald were sitting together on a swing in chair, Ronald in his lap and Grim between them, both laughing, William's arms wrapped tightly around his waist.

"We do look happy."

William nodded and brushed Ronald's tears from his cheeks, slowly leaning in and kissing his lips, hoping it was ok now. Ronald moaned softly and wrapped his arms around him, letting Williams draw him back to the couch, dropping Ronald's jacket and waistcoat again. He was so relieved. At least he seemed to have forgiven him. Now as long as Lucy was out for the night, he could see how far he could take Ronald.


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N:** Daww, Eric has given up on being ignored. He's bored of that now. And Will and Ron are making up, with mandatory Grell introduction. And Grim's cute at the end there. So, thank you for all the reviews, and please keep them coming. And, yes, we are planning a sequeal, since this is normally about the time we announce its in the works. It's in planning.

* * *

><p>William settled Ronald in his lap once more, pulling him down to capture his lips once more. Ronald whimpered slightly but pressed into the kiss. It was still playing across his mind, William had used him to get over that other boy. He wasn't even a reaper back then. He was mortal. Human. His entire relationship seemed to be an abuse of power but somewhere in Ronald's heart, he knew it was all true. William had cared for him. And it made him see less crazy. At least he knew he wasn't madly in love with someone he barely knew.<p>

He jerked back suddenly and William stared up at him. "What? What's wrong?"

In love... His hands slipped over William's shoulders, trembling slightly as William stared up at him. He looked so worried. It was all true. He could see it in William's eyes, he honestly loved him and was worrying every moment that he had made a mistake.

"Ronald," he whispered. "What is it?"

"I-I can't do this," Ronald said, shaking his head quickly, pushing him away slightly. "I can't."

"Why not? What's wrong? Ronald, talk to me," William said quietly. "Tell me what's wrong? If I can put it right I will."

"There's nothing you can do," he said, getting up and dressing again. William was watching him in silence, looking completely lost for word. "We should though."

"Ronald..." He sighed and Ronald glanced. "If this is moving too fast, just tell me. You're still young, I don't expect you to get into bed with me or anything like that. We can wait as long as you want. Just tell me what you want to do."

Ronald shook his head and turned to the door, slowly heading out. When he glanced back, William was waiting in the doorway, watching him go. Why was he even walking away? Ronald didn't even know himself, just that he had to get away. This was all happening way too fast. He was less than a year old, he barely knew William, and now things were getting out of hand and he'd found out William had fallen in love with him trying to get over his previous lover. He sighed and closed his eyes, leaning against the wall just around the corner. Love. He was in love with William. Already? Really? William's door clicked shut and Ronald leant his head back. Did William love him? Or was he just saying that? He did look genuinely concerned that he had hurt him or upset him. Ronald couldn't stop himself trembling though.

The doors below his opened and shut and Grell's voice floated up the stairs. Would William turn to him if he wasn't there? He didn't want to let William fall into the hands of anyone else. An irrational, burning jealousy and possessiveness fell over him and that clenched it. He turned and ran back to the apartment, back to William. He wasn't in the lounge. He frowned and glanced around.

"Sutcliff," William said opening the bedroom door. "I'm really not in the mood for your... He paused and Ronald smiled weakly. "Ronald? I thought you'd-"

"I know," Ronald whispered. "But I'm back. I'm sorry." He sighed as William walked over and pushed him gently against the dining table. He gasped as William's body pressed against his, keeping him trapped against the table, leaning down to his neck. Without thinking, he tangled his hand into William's hair. "This is all just, kind of, too much. I'm still kind of confused about what I'm supposed to be feeling right now."

"Of course," William murmured. "This won't go any further than you want. I promise."

"How far did we go when I was human?" he breathed as William kissed his neck, sending hot shivers through him.

William chuckled softly and nuzzled almost playfully against his jaw, slowly unbuttoning Ronald's shirt, and finally Ronald allowed him to slip it off, letting it fall to the floor. His fingers slid down his stomach and Ronald whimpered softly, heat racing through him. He had _never_ felt _anything_ like this. There was that strange heat snaking through him as William's kisses continued lower, his hands sliding down to his hips as he arched his back slightly.

"We were very intimate," William purred, licking his collar bone teasingly. "I'd have spent all my time in bed with you if I could have." The door opened and Ronald whipped around, turning bright red realising it was Grell in the doorway. William growled and snapped open Ronald's belt. "Get out, Sutcliff."

"Will!" Grell cried. "This is against the rules. You're not supposed to-"

"I said get out," he snapped.

Grell grumbled but shut the door and Ronald could hear him stomping away. His attention was quickly returned to William as he claimed his mouth once more, pressing him further back against the table, grinding their hips to make him moan loudly. There were first years who told him having a relationship with another man was obviously wrong. He wasn't sure how anyone could think that. Obviously none of them had ever been with a man like William. He'd seen the beginning of relationships between his classmates. They were clumsy and awkward. Not like William. He was compensating for his inexperience and new exactly what he was doing and how to please him. No one who'd been with a man like William could consider it anything but amazing.

"Maybe we shouldn't," Ronald whispered shakily as William lifted him up onto the table, continuing his kisses lower. "Sir..."

"Are you worried about getting caught? Or do you really want to stop?" William said, pushing him back slightly and parting his legs.

"I, uh-" He stopped dead as William slid open his belt sliding his bottoms down a little. Heat burned his cheeks but the hungry look in William's eyes was strangely erotic. "I..."

"If you're afraid to be caught," he said gently. "I don't think you should worry. Dr Burns will keep Miss Rose distracted, and she's the only one who can hear what goes on in here, I promise."

"What- what are you going to-"

"Don't worry." He slid his clothes down a little more and Ronald closed his eyes tightly realising William was about to strip him completely. It wasn't that he didn't want it but it was so strange, to think William had seen it all before while it felt like the first time to him. William didn't take everything off though, just slid them down enough to allow him access. "Ronald, it'll be alright, I promise. I won't let anything happen to you."

"But you'll be the one who gets in trouble."

"Unfortunately, darling, trouble isn't all that uncommon in my division."

Ronald gasped as William's fingers trailed to his aching need, stroking him gently. He squirmed slightly and absently when to push his hand away but William caught his wrist. It wasn't that he was just so nervous. William smiled understandingly and gently kissed the back of his hand.

"It'll be ok. I won't let anything happen to you. You used to like it when I took control. Here..."

He took the blue silk from his pocket and gently tied his wrists. Ronald frowned but let him do it. It didn't feel bad. It was kind of normal, like they did it all the time. "I don't understand."

"Put your arms around my neck, darling," William said firmly. Ronald stared up at him nervously but did as he asked and reached up around his neck. "Now, just relax and let me look after up. It'll be ok."

He pushed him back a little more and rubbed him gently between his legs, making Ronald moan loudly. "Sir..."

William chuckled and leant into his neck, kissing the sensitive skin as he continued to move his hand over his member. He should have been embarrassed. His mind told him it was wrong for another person to be touching him like this but he couldn't help tossing his head and moaning loudly, clenching his fists against his back. William chuckled softly and nipped at his neck as his breath hitched. His William. His dear William.

"Sir," he gasped, rocking his hips slightly. "S-sir, I-I-"

He moaned and leant against William's head, tugging at his shirt. '_I think I might be in love you_', why couldn't he say it? Why did it still sound so crazy? "More, darling?"

"Yes!"

His movements grew faster and rougher and Ronald tangled his fingers into William's hair, pulling him into a firm, heated kiss to keep himself from cursing. William pressed him back onto the table, climbing up over him and trailing hot, wet kisses across his jaw to his ear.

"Is it good, darling?" he purred, tugging his earlobe teasingly. Ronald gasped and moaned incoherently. "You like it that much?"

Ronald nodded and thrust against William's hand, a strange pressure clouding his senses, setting his blood alight. He cried out sharply and arched his back tightly as the pressure was released. He let his eyes fall shut once more and panted heavily as William stroked his cheek. As he struggled to regain his breath, Ronald hardly noticed William kiss his forehead, slip out from his arms and move away. There was a knock on the door and he struggled to sit up but was too exhausted. He just wanted to lie down at sleep. Only the knock came again. William came back into view, gently cleaning him off with a damp flannel, smiling slightly as he did. Ronald tried to say something but couldn't.

"William," Lucy giggled quietly. Ronald struggled to sit up and William helped him up, wrapping him in a blanket for modesty. "I could hear you from down the hall. Honestly, William, you just can't help yourself, can you?"

"Come on, Ronald," William murmured, lifting him from the table and sweeping him up into his arms. Still wrapped in the blanket and still absolutely exhausted, he closed his eyes and rested his head in William's shoulder. Next thing he knew, he was being lowered to the bed, undressed and put into a pair of pyjamas. He whimpered softly and William gave him a gentle reassuring kiss. "Rest, darling, I'll be back soon."

Ronald nodded and closed his eyes, trying to stretch out before realising his wrists were still bound with the silk restrain in front of him. He frowned and struggled to get the knot undone but couldn't get it. He sighed and closed his eyes. He'd have to wait for William to come back then.

* * *

><p>"Get off," Alan said, pushing Eric away. "You're cooking."<p>

Eric sighed and went back to the chocolate cake in the oven. "It's been over a week, Al."

"I know how long it's been," he said. Eric glared over and pulled out the cake, quickly cutting it up at pouring cream over the slice and returning to sit at his side, offering him the bowl. "Thank you."

"You know I'm sorry, sweetheart," he murmured as Alan ate. When Alan didn't push him away, as he had every other time he'd been so close, Eric smiled and leant it, gently kissing his neck."I just want to keep him safe, you know that."

"Then let him be, Eric," Alan said with a sigh. "He'll be ok."

"I know," he murmured, running his tongue up his neck, making Alan shiver. "William's already got his hands on him."

"What?" he cried, pushing Eric away. Eric sighed and shook his head. He shouldn't have said that. "Since when?"

"That's what we were talking about at the party, don't go and ruin it," Eric said.

Alan put down the bowl and went to get up but Eric grabbed his wrist and pulled him back down, capturing his lips and pushing him back to the couch. His little brunette gave an indignant cry into his mouth but it quickly turned into a soft moan as Eric pressed his knee between his legs. Satisfied he had Alan suitably distracted and disarmed, Eric moved his kisses down his neck, biting that spot just by his collar bone to that always made him arch and squirm.

"Bastard..." Alan breathed. Eric laughed and patted his side. Alan only swore when things were incredibly serious, or when talking to Eric. "This is so unfair."

"But you love it," Eric laughed. "I've been do patient. Let me have my fun."

Alan squirmed but sighed. "You leave Ronald well alone, alright?"

* * *

><p>"William," Lucy said with a sigh. "Why can't you just let him be?"<p>

"I know this is serious, Lucy, and I'm sorry, but I can't," William replied quietly, leaning back against the couch. "I can't stop myself. You can't honestly expect me to just let him go. Do whatever you want with me, I'm not letting him go again."

Lucy leant on the back of the chair, her eyes slightly hazing from the drink she'd had that night. "Your pay check is going to be docked, you're going to work your days off this week and you are going to do an extra two hours overtime every day this week."

William nodded then frowned. "That's it?"

"Do you want more?" she snapped.

"No, no, of course not but... after everything..." He paused and adjusted his glasses. "You just caught me with a student, aren't you supposed to punish me? I know the consequences for abusing a student."

"Ah, but the rules were written a long time ago by old men who wrote in loopholes to abuse their power with," Lucy said with a slightly drunken smile. "We don't talk about it, because it's stupid and old fashioned and people would take advantage of it, but you hadn't actually undressed him by their standards. That's the difference. As long as he's still wearing his trousers and pants, you haven't _technically_ committed the more serious offence."

"Really?" William said. Lucy nodded. "Wow." She nodded. "So, you won't report this?"

"You know it has to go in your file," she said. "But there's no need to take more serious actions." William nodded and Lucy smiled. "Be careful, William. There's starting to think your division is more trouble than it's worth. Be careful not to drag him into more trouble."

William nodded as Lucy left. This time, he was sure to lock the door, he didn't want any more people coming in and interrupting his time with Ronald. He returned to the bedroom and smiled. The little blonde seemed to be sleeping peacefully. He sighed and changed into his pyjamas, slowly climbing into bed and wrapping his arms tightly around him. He smiled noticing Ronald's wrists were still tied up. Smiling slightly, he ran his hand along Ronald's thigh, loving the way he shivered in response. Finally, he was home again, back where he belonged. He sighed and lowered his head slightly to kiss Ronald's ear.

"So, when you said were so in love with me," Ronald murmured. "Do you like _love_ _me_ love me or just _like_ _me_ love me?" William frowned as Ronald wiggled slightly, struggling to turn to face him. He still didn't make sense sometimes. "Are we going to spend the rest of our lives together? If I was a human and a woman, would you be getting down on one knee and offering me a ring?" William tilted his head slightly. Yes. Yes, of course he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Ronald. He was completely committed to Ronald with every fibre of his being. But would telling him that too soon scare him off? He didn't want to scare Ronald away again. He needed to take it slow. "William?"

"Maybe, darling," William said quietly, stroking his hair. "Would you want that? You're so young, I doubt you'd want to be tied down so quickly." He'd let Ronald go if he wanted to play around a little. He didn't mind. He'd rather let Ronald play around a little with other student, to let him figure things out before pushing him into a relationship. He knew he could just try to get him back once he was out the academy. Ronald had always been the same, once he'd been forgiven, it was easy to win him over completely, the first step was always the hardest. "I wouldn't mind if you wanted to see reapers your own age for now."

Ronald smiled and tilted his head slightly. "I dunno. But I want you for now. Lucy's not going to tell anyone then?"

"There's a nice little loophole we can play with. If you're up for it."

"I'm tired," Ronald murmured. "I'd like to just sleep. Can I stay here tonight? It's the weekend, there are no lessons."

"Alright," William said, letting Ronald snuggle into his arms. "But don't cause trouble. I have to work tomorrow afternoon." Ronald nodded and pressed against him. "Darling?" He hummed softly. "Did you enjoy yourself?"

"Yes, sir," he whispered drowsily, blinking up at him. "I-I've never... umm..."

William smiled and kissed his cheek. "Don't worry. I intent to give you a lot of first times." Ronald blushed heavily and William pecked his lips. "Only when you're ready, of course."

"Soon," he whispered. William's smile grew. He hoped so. "I want you to be my first."

William smiled and kissed his forehead. Ronald closed his eyes and he followed suit, drifting off into a light sleep. He finally had Ronald again. He rested his chin on top of Ronald's head. His dear sweet Ronald. The bed shifted and William opened one eye. Grim was padding over and plopped down between their legs, curling up and purring happily. William smiled. Everything was how it was supposed to be again. Everything was right in the word.


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N:**Dawww, everyone's being cute this chapter. Except Grell. He and the Undertaker will be cute next chapter. Grim and Eric are bonding, William and Eric and bonding, Ron and Alan are bonding. Lovely. So, thank you for the reviews and please keep them coming.

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><p>William jumped awake hearing something smash. He glanced around and found Ronald was nowhere to be seen. He got up quickly, grabbed his glasses, barely stopping to slip on his slippers just in case whatever had smashed was on the floor, and ran out to the living room. He wasn't there. Grim was sitting by the spare room door. He stepped forwards but glass crunched under foot. He glanced down and felt his heart wrench. It was a photo he'd shown Ronald the night before. It was completely shattered. He picked it up slowly and frowned.<p>

"Ronald?" he called quietly, heading over to the spare room. "What are you..." He trailed off, his throat going dry and his stomach churning. Ronald was sitting on the bed, his files spread out around him, tears dripping down his cheeks. He knew he should have got rid of them. "Ronald-"

"Stop lying to me," Ronald hissed, slowly lifting his gaze. "Tell me the truth."

"It's not what you think, Ronald," William said, stepping forwards slightly.

"Isn't it?" he cried. "Look at all this. Look at me. This is me! This is all me! I don't understand any of this and you've lied to me the entire time! Who am I? Honestly this time? Who am I? _What_ am I?"

William sat with him and took his hands gently but Ronald quickly jerked away. "Ronald, listen to me. You are Ronald Knox, one of the best young reapers I've ever seen, and the love of my life. That's all you need to know, darling. None of this other stuff matters."

"But it _does _matter! This said I killed Mr Slingby years ago. How is that possible? Why doesn't any of this make sense? Why don't I remember all this?"

"Stop it, darling," he whispered. "Please. It won't end well. Please, stop. You have to stop this. It's not going to help."

"Why won't you tell me anything?" he yelled, pushing him away, tears falling faster. "Stop lying to me!"

"I don't want to see you suffering anymore," William said desperately.

He caught and pulled him in against his chest, holding him tightly against him and wrapping his arms around him. Ronald was sobbing uncontrollably and pounding his fist against his chest. William didn't blame him. He wanted to stop Ronald suffering. Part of the reason he'd been swayed to kill him and let him be reborn. Without his memories, Ronald wasn't supposed to suffer. They would have kept him safe from harm and protected him. He was supposed to be completely safe now. If Ronald every discovered what he'd done, he'd be killed. The only reason he had been allowed to live was that he was considered an innocent party now. The higher ups wouldn't be so forgiving again. He had to keep Ronald in the dark or he'd be held responsible for his actions. He had to keep him safe.

Closing his eyes as Ronald's fury faded, his trembling hand holding his top, whimpering and sobbing, William sighed and rested his head on top of Ronald, gently stroking his hair. How was he supposed to tell Ronald what had happened to him? How was William supposed to tell him all he'd been through? It almost destroyed him the first time and he was a more mature and older and stronger. Ronald had every right to be so confused and angry and he would do anything to make it better, but there was nothing he could do.

"William?" Lifting his head, he stared up at the other three, not sure what to say. Alan frowned. "What's going on, William?"

William frowned and returned to leaning against Ronald, closing his eyes again. "Ronald found some old files."

"Did you all know?" Ronald whimpered, gazing up. "Did you all know what I've done? All the terrible things in those files? Is that what happened to the worst criminals? You just wipe their minds and turn them into children again? Was I really that bad?"

"No," Alan said gently, sitting with him. Eric smiled slowly and sat with them. "No, Ronald, you weren't. You were so sweet and kind."

"Then why does my file have so many black marks against it?" he cried.

"Because you're part of our troubled but talented bunch," Eric said. "Ronald, we all loved you, we were going to keep you safe. Look, we can't keep you safe if you start to look into this stuff ok? I know it sounds cruel but we took away your memories and resurrected you to keep you safe. They would have killed you and that would be that if we hadn't. Not that we had much choice."

Ronald frowned and tilted his head as Eric glared at William. "But you said to be reborn as a reaper, I have to be killed, that my life had to end unnaturally. What happened to me? How did I die?" His eyes widened and he pulled up his sleeves, looking at the hideous scars on his wrists as William's heart wrenched. "Was it these? Did I-"

"No," William said quickly. "No, they weren't you." He sighed and kissed the top of Ronald's head. "Darling, no. You were murdered during that demon attack on the hospital. I managed to reap your soul before it ate it."

Ronald closed his eyes slowly, resting against him. William frowned and gently stroked his cheeks, brushing away his tears. His poor Ronald. He couldn't tell him he'd murdered him. He couldn't. He'd hate him for the rest of his life. He couldn't take that. He sighed and closed his eyes as well, holding him close.

"Did you fall for a human lover when I was with the demons?" Ronald whispered. "Or was that just another explanation to keep me quiet? To explain away my presence?"

"Demons?" Eric said gently. "Ron, what are you-"

"I'm not stupid," he muttered, turning to Eric. "I get it. I'm Mr Spears little blonde lover who died in the demon attack, right? I was... raped... and almost killed... and ended up in the hands of demons... that's me, isn't it?"

They glanced at each other before William sighed. "Darling... I'm sorry... I didn't want you to find out like this."

"We were trying to protect you, Ronald," Alan said gently. "We didn't want you to get hurt."

"Please don't be mad, Ron," Eric said, squeezing his hand.

"I missed you too," Grell said, wrapping his arms around his shoulders from behind. "I always knew you and Will would be back together soon."

"Sutcliff," William snapped. Grell grinned and Eric pulled him up, opening a porthole. "We'll come and get you when your input will be less troublesome."

"Hey! Where are you sending me?" he cried as Eric shoved him through.

"Right," Eric said quiet quickly. "So, Ron, are we forgiven? We were only trying to keep you safe. If you remembered, you'd be killed as a traitor. It was our only choice."

Ronald sighed and got up. "I need to think."

William watched him hurry out before turning to the others. They hadn't planned for this. If it ever came out it wasn't supposed to be like this. He frowned and glanced at the files around them. He'd put them away in one of the boxes. How did he find them?

"What's wrong, William?" Alan said quietly.

"How did they get the files?" William murmured.

"What?" Eric said.

"The box with the files in was right at the back, under the desk behind all the others, but it's the only one open. How did he know to get that one open?" He frowned and turned his gaze on Grim who was sitting on the pillows. The kitten mewled and tilted his head, looking too innocent as William narrowed his gaze. "That's the last time you're sleeping in the bed."

Grim blinked up at him, looking so sad. Eric laughed and patted his head. "I know how you feel, mate. He keeping letting me come back just for one night too. I was kicked out this morning too."

"Don't bond with him over sleeping on the couch," Alan snapped, smacking his arm. "You make it sound like I'm causing trouble here. You're the one who kept interfering. Look at what's happened to him. You should have just left him alone. And I'm really disappointed in you, William. We should have just left him alone. I'm going to find him." He got up and Eric went to follow but Alan pushed him back. "You three-" he glanced from Eric to William to Grim and back "-are going to stay here and think about what you've done to him by playing with his life. He is a person, not a toy, his life is not ours to play with. We should have just left him to grow up. Now, perhaps next time you won't be so selfish and will stop thinking about what you want and remember we're supposed to be thinking about what's best for him. Try not to forget that again."

All three nodded dumbly and Alan turned and strode out. William frowned and glanced at Eric who shrugged. When Alan got going he could be rather intense, but he did make some good points. They had lost sight of what was important. Ronald was the important thing and they'd been thinking about themselves and getting back to how it was. Grim flopped on his lap and rolled his eyes.

"I know, pal," Eric said, scratching his ear. "Women, huh?"

"I sometimes wonder why people questioned my relationship with Ronald and never you and Alan," William muttered. Eric frowned. "Does he honestly not mind you comparing him to a woman all the time? You're terrible to him."

"We need to think about Ronald," he said. William nodded, as did Grim. "This hasn't really worked out how we planned, has it?"

William sighed and shook his head. "This is going to destroy him. We did the right thing, didn't we? Making him forget? I didn't murder him for nothing, did I?"

"You did the right thing," Eric whispered. "I know it's tough, and I know I was angry, but it's better this way, right? We helped him. And this is where his problems started last time right. He was about a year old, Richard St John-"

"You did kill him, didn't you?" William said.

"Yeah, me, Grell and Michelle," Eric replied. "Around the same time I started killing for Alan. We've seen how screwed up he can be, and the sweet boy he is. He's strong William. We all know he's so strong. We can get him through this. If he has the support he needs this time then he'll be ok." Grim nodded and Eric smiled. "Although, I think Grell's help needs to be kept at a minimum. You know how he's a little insensitive sometimes. I know he means well-"

"But it's how he is," he said. "He seems to think life is a novel and he's the hero-"

"Heroine," Eric laughed. William nodded. "And it should revolve around him. If his friends are hurting, everyone should worry about how it's hurting him to see them suffering. He's the star and should have the attention."

"It's almost endearing how delude he is sometimes."

"If you're living in a fantasy world, it may as well be a satisfying one. Don't worry, Alan is probably the best person for him to be around at the moment anyway. You're really not acting like yourself recently. I know this mess must be getting to you."

"You have no idea, and Lucy caught us last night, so now I have a half shift today with two hours overtime. I need to get going. Make sure Ronald's alright for me."

Eric nodded. "You know me. Making sure Ron's alright is high on my list of priorities." William frowned and strode out to get changed as Eric smiled and laid back on the bed. Grim tilted his head and head-butted his forehead gently. He smiled and laughed. "Just us then, Grim. Don't worry, I know how you feel. Those women, they get so worked up over everything and anything. Any excuse to kick us out of bed, right?" Grim mewl and collapsed in a heap next to him, resting his head on his paws as Eric tucked his arms behind his head. "You think Ron will be ok?" Grim nodded. "You're right. Al will talk him down, I'm sure. He's good at thinking clearly when things get tough. If only he was as good at thinking clearly when it came to me. You know, we were barely done last night when he had one of his mood swings and locked himself in the bedroom. Said I was using sex to get forgiveness and he's not that kind of guy and I should know that by now." Sighing, Grim rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Then I finally got back into bed and he kicks me out again at three a.m. I swear, if he was a woman, I'd say he was pregnant." Grim glanced up at him and shook his head and Eric glared back. "What do you know, you're just a cat?"

* * *

><p>Alan searched everywhere he could think of for Ronald before returning to heading out to London. It was a long shot, but it was possible. He turned through the twisting roads and Ronald was there, sitting on the door step of a rundown house in an alley. He sighed and shook his head. He knew this place. Ronald's instincts must have led him there. The alley where he'd been attacked by a pair of demons. He'd been offered a promotion, on the condition that William was promoted too, and he, Eric, Ronald and Grell had gone out to celebrate, even knowing that so many reapers were being attacked and never woke up again. William had been furious that they'd been so careless and that they'd let Ronald wander off while he was drunk and with the demons out there. They'd be so lucky Ronald had survived. It was that attack that had pushed William to act on his developing feelings for Ronald though.<p>

"Hey, Ronald," he said gently. Ronald's head jerked up and Alan smiled. "Are you ok?"

"No," Ronald whispered. "No, I don't think I am."

Alan nodded. "What file did you take?" Ronald blinked and Alan smiled. "I saw you take it, even if no one else did. Which one?" He pulled out the folder from his jacket and Alan sat next to him. The file on what Marcus had done to him. "Are you sure you want to look at that?" He nodded. "Want me to stay with you?"

"Yes please."

"Look, Eric and William love you," Alan said, patting his arm. "Eric loves you like a little brother and William loves you more than anyone. They want what's best for you, they just let their hearts rule their heads sometimes. Although, William only really does that when it comes to you."

Ronald nodded and slowly opened the folder. Alan had never seen the folder either. The first thing he noticed was the devastatingly graphic pictures with the reports. First were Ronald's files on his time in isolation. They were simple and made sense. Then came the day of the attack. There were pictures of Ronald's room, his bed soaked in blood and over the floor. Next to them were the pictures of Ronald's arms as he was stitched up and cleaned up. Ronald frowned and ran his fingers over the pictures.

"They thought I tried to kill myself," he murmured. "Did you believe him?"

"We didn't want to believe if," Ronald murmured. "Eric was the only one allowed in to see you, he didn't believe it for a second, but he didn't tell us much at the time. And he turned on the doctors so fast. He'd seen exactly what had happened to you from the start and was furious that no one else had seen it." Ronald nodded slowly and flicked to the next page. "He demanded they did a proper exam."

And there were the results, photo after photo of Ronald's bruised body and notes on injuries they couldn't take pictures of and the psychological and toxicology reports. Tears welled in Ronald's eyes and Alan leant over, brushing them away gently.

"We stayed with you every step of the way, Ronald," he said firmly, squeezing his hand. "We did then and we will now. That's what we do, the five of us, together. Us against the world, because we get in so much trouble, we have to stick together. William, Grell and Eric, the slaughter the son of a bitch who did this to you. We are going to keep you safe Ronald. Put your trust in us. We'll keep you safe. You're ours and we're going to keep you safe. I promise, just give us a chance."

Ronald gazed up at him and frowned. "Did you say that before this happened?"

"We did all we could before and after. It hurt us all to know we'd let you go through that and we couldn't help. We'll keep you safe. Please, trust us." After a long moment, Ronald nodded. Alan smiled and hugged him close. "It's going to be ok, Ronald. I promise."


	37. Chapter 37

**A/N:** Wow why the hell wouldn't this upload? I kept trying though because I'm awesome to you guys. So, let's go. Lots of couples. Grell and the Undertaker, Will and Ron and Alan is still ignoring Eric. Poor Eric. So, thank you for all the reviews and please keep them coming.

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><p>"What's wrong, my dear?" the Undertaker chuckled. Grell sighed as the Undertaker massaged his shoulders. "You're so tense."<p>

"Ronald is staring to find out what happened," Grell said with a sigh. "It's not just me, is it?"

"What is?" he said gently.

Grell sighed and leant on his knees. Everyone was so focused on Ronald, why weren't they paying attention to him? Ronald was fine. They were _supposed_ to be leaving him alone and letting him grow up on his own, weren't they? Stupid hypocritical William. He hadn't done anything wrong really. William wasn't with Ronald at the time he'd kissed him. It wasn't like he'd been asking for him to cheat on Ronald, he was just going to keep him company while he was alone. Ronald didn't even remember him!

"Who thinks sees he's not our Ronnie," he said. "I mean, Ronald, cute little baby _Ronald_, isn't the same as our _Ronnie_." The Undertaker nodded slowly. "He just looks like him, and sounds like him but he's not _Ronnie_! He doesn't know us, or remember us or... Ronnie knew how I liked my coffee. He knew I liked cinnamon at the start of my shift when we were doing field work and honey when I was doing desk work, with one normal two normal sugars and a pinch of dark sugar and just the tiniest bit of warm milk."

"That's very specific," the Undertaker said.

Grell nodded. "But he knew. And he made sure the ladies in the coffee shop knew too. He made sure I got my coffee just right. And I know it sounds stupid and selfish, but he just knew how to make everyone happy and make it all just right. And he doesn't have those memories and he doesn't know how to make it right. He'd not strong enough to take all his problems and take all our problems to make them seem ok. He made everything seem ok again, do you know what I mean? This would be so easy for me if Ronald was here to keep me strong."

The Undertaker nodded slowly and continued rubbing his shoulders. Grell sighed and tilted his head up. "Perhaps, my dear, that's why you threw yourself at Mr Spears and decided to ignore me for so long."

"I didn't..." He paused and frowned. "Ok, well, maybe I _kind of_ threw myself at Will but that's not a big deal. I've always been after Will. I mean, if I'm not after Will then... what am I supposed to do with myself?"

"Perhaps, you should let Mr Spears go," he said, turning and picking up his biscuit jar. "He does love Ronald, you must understand that. You've supported him all the time, you thought it was good for them to be together and acted like you'd accepted it, like you were happy for tem because if you couldn't have him, you were happy it was Ronald instead, right?" He chuckled and offered Grell a biscuit which he pushed away and he shrugged. "Perhaps you always hoped and believe they wouldn't last. You wanted them to be happy and succeed because they were your friends and you loved them, but something deep down that you couldn't fight made you wish something would happen and maybe Mr Spears would be yours to chase again."

"I'm not that selfish," Grell snapped. The Undertaker grinned and shook his head. "I wanted them to be happy. They were supposed to be together!"

His grin widened. "_Were_ they?"

"Yes," he cried, standing up at glaring up at him. He honestly believed it, with all his heart. "Ronnie and Will were in love, it was like the most beautiful, romantic thing ever. They were supposed to be together but you had to tell Will how to make him a reaper again. If we'd just kept him locked up we could have found a proper cure."

"It's my fault now?"

"Well who else's fault would it be other than Will's? If he loved him so much, how come he murdered him? And that's what he did, let's not play games. He _murdered_ Ronnie and expects us to just accept his replacement. He's not a goldfish, you can't just get one that looks just like him and think we won't notice. It's you and him. You two killed my Ronnie!"

The Undertaker sighed and shook his head, pulling himself up onto a desk, biting his cookie as he laughed. "Well, I won't deny I'm to blame in as much as I told him how to make a human into a reaper, but I am hardly the only one to blame."

"No, it's you and Will! You could have stopped this. You're some all powerful reaper who has so much sway and is skilled. Why not stop it? Will let Marcus rape Ronnie. If he'd trusted his friends he would have been known not to trust him. If Ronnie had managed, he would have been ok. The hybrids wouldn't have found him, they wouldn't have been able to manipulate him. And then Will went and called him useless."

"He didn't mean that and to be fair he was trying to protect him. He was stressed and grieving."

"He shouldn't have said it!" He stood and began pacing back and forth furiously. "Then he goes and _murders_ him? Without even consulting us? He held Ronnie in his arms while he died! He looked him in the eyes while he killed him! Who does that? Who is so cold hearted they can look a boy like Ronnie in the eyes as they murder him? Let alone someone they claim to love more than anything? And yet everyone feels sorry for him? What about me? I didn't have a say in what happened? No one asked me if I was ok with him killing my best friend! I don't even know why I'm so in love with him. I like my men cruel and powerful and cold but that's almost _evil_."

"That is enough!" the Undertaker snapped, standing up and grabbing his shoulders. He laughed softly and shook his head. "You really can't go blaming everyone else here, Grell. What happened is the fault of many uncontrollable things. Marcus Lance started this whole thing when he broke Ronald last year, in fact it goes even further back, the cracks have been forming since he was young, he only snapped last year. He didn't get the help he needed. When problems presented themselves he wasn't in any state to deal with them. You were all suffering from the grief of thinking Michelle had died and, understandably, didn't notice he was slipping. Mr Spears' became overprotective and Mr Slingby and Alan were trying to get themselves through it and you were torn up as well. No one noticed how Ronald was suffering. It let him fall into their hands. Ronald is hardly innocent himself. Perhaps you should stop placing blame, and start making the best of something you can't change and looking after the victims."

"Ronnie..."

"Not just Ronald," the Undertaker said, slowly wrapping arms around his waist and leaning on his shoulder. "You've lost one your of your closest friends. Whether or not he lives again, last year he died and none of you grieved for him. Of course it's hard. It's not good not to grieve."

"I want my little Ronnie back," Grell wailed, throwing his arms around him, breaking down into tears. "He was my best friend and Will murdered him in cold blood! He held him when he died! He held him in his arms and killed him!" The Undertaker sighed and rubbed his back. "If he loved him, why did he kill him? How can you murder someone you love? Ronnie never meant to hurt anyone. He didn't mean it."

"If someone you loved was suffering, in constant pain, doubting their sanity and life, wouldn't you want to help them?"

"He killed him!"

"He gave him a fresh start."

"It was murder!

"And yet you still want him? You still want him to love you?"

Grell frowned and The Undertaker smiled slightly, shaking his head. After a moment, Grell held him tight and cried into his shoulder. Why hadn't there been another way? Why hadn't they been able to save Ronald sooner? The Undertaker sighed and kissed the top of his head.

"Now now," he chuckled gently. "Would your dear Ronnie want to see you cry?"

"No," Grell whispered, wiping his tears away and sitting up. He smiled slightly and the Undertaker smiled, stroking his tears. "No he wouldn't."

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><p>Ronald smiled slightly as William came in from work. William was a little surprised. He hadn't expected Ronald to be there, waiting for him. He slipped out of his shoes and jackets and smiled slightly, sitting on the couch across from him. He was hoping Alan had talked him into forgiving him. He really had thought he was doing what was best. Finally, much to William's surprise, Ronald scooted over and wrapped his arms around him, snuggling into his chest. After a long moment, William returned his hold, slipping his arms around him and holding him close, burying his head in his hair, kissing the top of his head.<p>

"Are you alright, Ronald?" he whispered.

Ronald nodded slowly. "You did it to protect me, didn't you? You didn't mean for this, did you?"

"No," William said, pulling him up onto his lap, holding him close and pecking his lips. "Darling, I thought I was protecting you. I wanted you to be safe. I wanted to give you a fresh start. I thought you would be ok, and you'd find out when you were older, and strong enough to handle it. I thought I'd tell you gently, I wanted to be careful with you."

"Tell me you love me," Ronald murmured.

"I do, darling," he replied instantly. "More than anything, I love you."

"How much?" he said, smiling up at him. William frowned and Ronald pressed their lips together for a moment, shifting in his lap to rest their foreheads together. "How much do you love me, William?"

"With all my heart." Ronald grinned and captured his lips, pressing gently against him. "Before you feel into the demon's hands, Grell asked me if we were a proper couple like Eric and Alan, were we going to spend the rest of our lives together? I didn't know. I hadn't ever thought about it but when you were gone, when I thought you were lost forever, that's when I knew. I knew." Ronald's eyes softened and he wrapped his arms around William's neck, smiling tenderly, making all William's fears fade. Ronald didn't hate him, he didn't fear him, he wasn't too hurt by the revelations. "I loved then, and I still do know, Ronald. I wanted to be with you forever and I'd realised it too late. You hated me for saving you from those demons. They'd brainwashed you into thinking we would kill you on sight. It broke my heart to see you like that. I've been blaming myself for so much of what you've been through. So much of it was because of my mistakes and that kills me."

Ronald sighed and smiled weakly, kissing him once more, more firmly this time, rocking his hips against his, making William hiss and groan. "Tell me about my attack."

"Which one?" William said with a defeated sigh. He rested his head against Ronald's again and stroked his fingers over his back. "I've let you down so many times."

"Hey, I might not remember anything, I might not know anything about who I used to be, but I know I must have trusted you. And I don't think I'd ever blame you for something like this. Please, tell me about it. Tell me everything. I want to know who I was. I need to know what I can be and where I've gone wrong. I need to learn from my mistakes. Talk to me. Tell me."

William frowned, then nodded slowly. He'd rather tell Ronald than have him find out through someone else. He sighed as Grim bounced up with them and flopped on the back of the couch, watching quietly as William slowly explained everything. Ronald sat listening quietly, looking up at him with those big sweet eyes. It took a few hours to go through everything that had happened between them, censored for his young mind of course. He'd explain more when he was older and stronger. Still, Ronald was sitting there not pushing when William said he would tell him about something another time. When he finally finished with his death in the hospital, leaving out that he'd been the one to kill him, Ronald cupped his cheeks and pressed their lips together, grinding their hips together and tangling his fingers into his hair. William was rather surprised by the reaction but William wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close and gently pushing him onto his back, pinning him down as their kiss grew more intense by the second, their bodies moving together as William unbuttoned his shirt and waistcoat.

"I don't understand, Ronald," he murmured against his jaw. "Why? After everything?"

Ronald gasped and closed his eyes as their bodes slid together, William kissing his neck gently. "They way you talk about it and the way you are around me... It's kind of easy to tell you're being honest when you say you love me." William smiled and nodded, placing a soft kiss on his cheek. "You're ok to wait, right?" Pulling back slightly, William gazed down at him and Ronald blushed heavily. "I-I just mean... I know you love me and all, and I trust you but... it's supposed to be really painful the first time, isn't it? An-and I'm not saying that I don't think you'll be gentle with me and you know what you're doing, obviously, it just-"

"You're not ready," William said gently, stroking his cheeks. Ronald nodded slightly. "That's alright. I'm very patient, Ronald, I wouldn't want you to do anything you're not comfortable with."

"Well... I liked what did yesterday," Ronald whispered, glancing away slightly. "We can do that again, right?"

"Anything you like, darling."

* * *

><p>"Sweetheart," Eric said quietly, wrapping his arms around Alan's waist. Alan frowned and glanced up at him. "You spent all day with Ron. Don't you want to spend time with me now?"<p>

"Not really," Alan said, pushing him off and heading over to the bedroom. "I'm tired. I want to go to bed."

Eric sighed and followed him only for the door to slam in his face. "You know Grim agrees with me about you."

"Grim's a cat!" he called through the door. "He can't agree with you!"

"You're being unreasonable," Eric said, opening the door and sitting on the bed. Alan glared at him then changed slowly. "Sweetheart, I didn't interfere, I swear, it wasn't me. At least let me stay in bed."

Alan sighed and shook his head. "Fine. Bed but you keep your hands to yourself."

"I can do that."

"I doubt it." Alan slipped into bed and Eric grinned, changing for bed and quickly joining him. Before Alan could object, Eric wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close. Sighing, Alan shook his head. "I thought so."

"Shh, sweetheart," Eric murmured against the back of his neck, stroking his stomach, making his shiver. "You love your bad boy." Alan growled and elbowed him in the stomach. "Oww."

"Hands off."

He sighed and let him go, rolling away and glaring at the door. "You know, William is getting more action than me right now, and his boyfriend can't even remember who he's sleeping with."

"Well, that's because William is trustworthy and responsible."

Eric was about to reply when Alan reached up and switched off the light, plunging them into darkness. He sighed. When was this going to end? He'd probably get kicked out at ridiculous o'clock tomorrow morning as well. Whatever was causing Alan's mood swings, he needed to figure it out and deal with it as soon as possible.


	38. Chapter 38

**A/N:** Welcome tot he final section of the story. Things are taking a down hill turn for the last time this fic. So, let's get going. Thank you for your reviews, please keep them coming and enjoy.

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><p>"Sweetheart, why didn't you wake me up?" Eric groaned, glancing at the clock and noticing they were late. Alan didn't answer and he rolled over slowly. Alan was lying next to him. "Wake up, Al, we're late for work." He sighed, stroking Alan's hair when he didn't wake up. "Alan, wake up. We over slept." Alan didn't stir. "Alan?" Still nothing. "Come on, sweetheart. Wake up. We have to work." Alan still didn't move. "Alan!"<p>

Suddenly panicking, he ran out to the living room and grabbed the phone and calling the hospital wing, quickly explaining what was going on. Within half an hour they were in the hospital. Everyone was tending to Alan while Eric was stuck outside in the waiting room. He sat quietly, waiting impatiently for news. Alan couldn't be relapsing with the Thorns, could he? Grell and William would probably come down as soon as they could but William had to work extra hours, and they were already working the late shift.

"Mr Slingby." He looked up expected to see one of the nurses but instead it was Lucy. He stood quickly, surprised to find her flanked by four Internal Maintenance officers. "Senior Dispatch Officer, Eric Slingby, after an investigation you've been found guilty of a multitude of serious crimes, including over a thousand cases of murder and improper collection."

"What?" Eric cried. "Miss Rose- Lucy, I was found innocent. You can't just change your mind."

The officers caught his arms and pulled his wrists behind him, putting him in handcuffs. "Having been found guilty, you're hereby under arrest and you will be taken to London's prison facility to wait sentencing."

"No, but Alan-"

"Please don't resist, Mr Slingby, it won't be good for your case."

"Mr Slingby?" Ronald called as they pulled him passed. "What's going on?"

"Don't worry about it, Ron," Eric replied with a reassuring smile. "It's just a misunderstanding. Don't worry, they'll realise that soon."

"Miss Rose," Dr Burns said. "Please, Mr Humphries is in intensive care, is this really the best time to be taking Mr Slingby into custody?" Ronald glanced up at him and Eric turned to face the doctor. What was wrong with Alan? "Please, wait until he's better."

"I'm sorry, but this is out of my hands," Lucy said quietly. "I have no choice."

"What did you do, Mr Slingby?" Ronald cried as Dr Burns caught his arms, holding him back. "Mr Slingby? Eric?"

"It's alright, Ron," Eric said gently. "Don't worry, I'll be out by tonight. Look after Alan for me."

"I will."

Eric nodded and went with Lucy and her officers peacefully. It had to be a mistake. They had to have made a mistake and it would be sorted out soon. He was shoved into the room and handed a plain white uniform or a t-shirt and sweatpants. When he refused to put them on he was held down and forcibly stripped and changed before he was locked in and left completely alone. How could this be happening? He'd through after eight years it would have been forgotten. And why now? When Alan needed him so much?

There was yelling outside and he ran to the door. Staring out the window as Grell was dragged passed kicking and screaming and biting. "Grell!"

"Eric!" he cried, trying to turn and run to him but was dragged into another cell and out of Eric's sight. "Eric!"

He frowned and sat on the bed, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Why were they suddenly being arrested? He sat on the bed in silence for who knew how long. He was sure he could break out if he tried but that wouldn't look good when he was released. Eric sighed and closed his eyes, leaning on his knees. He hoped Alan was ok and wasn't too worried. He'd have to go and check on him as soon as he got out.

* * *

><p>"What if I don't want to go?" William said quietly, reading over the transfer again. He glanced up at Miss Bentley, the Dispatch and Collection Supervisor for Britain. "Why do I have to go?"<p>

"Mr Spears," she said gently. "I realise you have many attachments here and you've done a lot of commendable work but we think it's time for a change, don't you?"

"But America?" he argued. "That's so far away. Why do I have to be transferred away? What gives you the right to force this one me?"

"We are all very aware of your hard work and the troubles you've been through in past years, Mr Spears," she snapped, straightening her jacket. "Now, this is a very prestigious position in America. We need someone experienced and hard working there. Now, we're also all very aware that you're carrying on an illegal affair with Mr Knox. Let's not make this fall onto him as well. It would be a shame for his career to be ruined before it begins."

"How low do you have to sink to threaten a child?" William snarled.

"How sick do you have to be having an affair with a child?" Miss Bentley snapped. William frowned and glanced away. "You're relieved of your duties, Mr Spears. Go home and pack, you'll be leaving tomorrow morning."

William nodded slowly and left his files, slowly picking up his personal possessions from the office and taking him home. Everything was so numb and surreal. Like a dream. He returned home where Grim was waiting to greet him. His heart wrenched. He was sure Ronald bought a travel box for him when he first arrived. He sighed and set down the box of possessions. He'd just got Ronald back. Ronald knew the truth and they were getting back to a happy, content relationship and now he had to leave. How was he going to tell Ronald? How was he going to tell the others? They were going to hate this.

He sighed and began packing slowly. He'd leave Ronald's things in storage and all the things he didn't want to take yet. Perhaps he'd manage to get home soon. He frowned as Grim bounced around him. Packing took hours of sorting through what he wanted when he got there and what he could leave and have brought out later. He finished by setting Grim's travel box on the table. Grim eyed it suspiciously and he sighed.

"I'm sorry, Grim," he whispered. "We're going to be going on a trip. Now, you wait here while I tell Ronald."

He'd been expecting to find Ronald in the hospital with Dr Green but instead he was in one of the treatment room. William frowned. He was sitting next to a bed, stroking Alan's hair. Frowning, William stepped in and shut the door quietly. Ronald turned slightly and gave him a relieved smile. Alan looked pale and his breathing was shallow and laboured, despite an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth. What had happened? He frowned and gently placed a hand on Ronald's shoulder.

Where was Eric? Why wasn't he here to watch over Alan? Why would he leave Ronald here to look after him? Ronald nuzzled gently against his hand and William's heart wrenched. Now he had to leave him too. He caught Ronald's hand and pulled him up gently, wrapping his arms around him, and burying his head in his hair, closing his eyes tightly. Ronald stood still for a moment before slowly sliding his arms around him. How could he leave him again? How was he supposed to leave him to struggle through on his own? Perhaps he could get him transferred to an American academy then they'd be closer and they could see each other more.

"Mr Spears, they-"

"Shh," William whispered. "Hush, Ronald. Come on, we need to home."

"Why?" he said quietly as William took his hand as led him out. William frowned. "Mr Spears, we can't just leave him."

"I'm sure Slingby will return any second," William replied. "This is more important."

"But Eric is-"

"Ronald, please."

He fell silent and they returned home quietly. The second the door shut, William pulled him close, capturing his lips in a desperate, tender kiss, guiding Ronald back to the bedroom, kicking the door behind him. Ronald gasped as William slid off his jacket, leaning down to kiss his neck, their bodies rubbing together, making him moan and gasp, gripping his hair.

"Mr Spears, sir!" he cried, as William pushed him to the bed. "What's going on with you?"

"Ronald," he whispered against his jaw. "I'm sorry, I've been transferred away." Ronald pushed him off and sat up, staring up at him. "Darling, I'm sorry."

"When?" he said, looking so heartbroken.

"Tomorrow morning."

"Where?"

"America."

"America!" Ronald cried. "That's miles away!" William sighed and nodded. So naive and childish but rather accurate. "What about me? What about everyone else?"

"Well, I can try to get your transferred to an academy out there," William said quietly. "But other than that there's not much I can do."

"So... there's no choice in the matter?" he said quietly, glancing away.

"None." He sighed and hugged Ronald close, burying his head in his hair once more. William sighed. "I wouldn't leave you if I have a choice, Ronald, you know that."

Ronald sighed and ran his hands over William's cheeks and slowly down his chest, a strange look in his eyes. William frowned and shivered as Ronald leant up, gently kissing his neck. He was about to push him off and remind him that kind of behaviour excited him and they shouldn't be doing such things, when Ronald unbuttoned William's shirt and waistcoat, sliding them off and letting them fall to the ground.

"We should make your last night here special, shouldn't we?" Ronald murmured.

"Ronald, darling, you don't have to," William said gently.

"I want to, William."

William nodded slowly and laid Ronald back on the bed. The little blonde smiled, resting against the pillows, watching him curiously. Smiling gently, and moving carefully so as not to frighten Ronald, William leant down, trailing gentle kisses along his jaw. Ronald moaned softly as bodies pressed together in such a wonderfully familiar way. Why did he have to be leaving just as he was getting his old Ronald back? He slid off Ronald's shirt and threw it to the floor, moving his kisses lower. Ronald's soft moans grew louder and he bucked his eagerly. William smiled and Ronald squeezed his hand tightly, looking more than a little nervous, but perfectly willing to try. Smiling gently, he ran his fingers teasingly over Ronald's slender body. He moaned and tossed his head, arching to William's touch. This would be Ronald's first time. How depressing that he had to leave tomorrow morning.

"Darling," he whispered against his ear, slowly opening Ronald's belt. "You know I love you, don't you? More than anything in the world, I love you."

"William," Ronald moaned, thrusting against his hand. "Sir..."

"I mean, darling," he said, sliding away the last of his clothes. "That I won't ever be with anyone else. It's only you. And I'll wait until we can be together. I don't mind if you won't, I'd understand, but I love you more than anything. I could never love anyone else."

"After you, I get the feeling most people my age would seem rather boring."

"I suppose."

He reached into one of their draws and pulled out the chocolate scented lotion. Ronald and his ridiculous love of chocolates seem to get everywhere. He pressed his fingers against Ronald's entrance. Ronald moaned, tossing his head back and William smiled, slowly pressing inside him as Ronald scrunched his eyes shut.

"Ok?" William whispered. "We don't have to-"

"No, it's ok, keep going."

He pressed deeper inside, Ronald slowly relaxing around him. He needed to relax Ronald and make sure this was a painless as possible. He couldn't stop him feeling any pain, but he could try and minimise it. When he was ready, he slipped in a second finger. Almost instantly, Ronald gave a sharp cry, tensing again, arching away from the pain. William wasn't surprised. He took his time preparing Ronald, trying not to get too over excited by the look of Ronald blushing and panting and moaning. His little Ronald. He stroked Ronald's member, keeping the pain from overwhelming him as best he could, whispering to him gently in an attempt to distract him.

Finally, William withdrew his fingers, slipping down his trousers and underwear, pressing against the little blonde. Ronald gave a sharp cry and William pushed into him slowly. Grasping his hand uncomfortably tight, Ronald arched away, almost screaming, tears slipping down his cheeks.

"Darling, you're ok, you're ok," he whispered. He kissed his ear gently and Ronald gave a sharp cry as William bucked his hips slightly. "I know it hurts, it'll be ok. It'll get better. I can stop if you'd like."

"No," Ronald panted. "No, no, please." He drew William closer a pressed their lips together clumsily. "Take me, make yours. Please, I don't want you to go without doing this. I want to give you something to remember while we're apart."

"If you're sure."

Ronald nodded slowly and he began to move. Slowly and carefully at first, but he quickly settled into a steady pace, slower than he normally would with him and he was holding back, forming himself to stay calm. Ronald cried and arched his back, gripping his hand tighter. He finally had his Ronald back. Moaning loudly, Ronald hissed out a curse. That was definitely his Ronald.

"Sir," he cried, pulling him closer. "I-I uh-"

William pressed their lips together for a moment. Of course, Ronald didn't know how much he made William want him. Ronald moaned and cried loudly, gripping his hand and his hair. Finally, Ronald's voice cracked and he arched up against him, pushing William to his limit. It took William a moment to recover, barely keeping his balance above him. Ronald was panting heavily, staring up at him. After a moment, he pulled out of the little blonde, falling to the bed beside him. Ronald looked too dazed and exhausted to move. William smiled, gently helping him into his pyjamas and wrapping him up in the covers. He changed slowly and pushed the door opened slightly for Grim, who bounced up onto the bed as William lay down next to Ronald. He was sound asleep.

Smiling gently, William wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close as Grim laid between them. He smiled and kissed his hair. Ronald stirred slightly and William squeezed his arms around him. Closing his eyes slowly, William dozed off, knowing this might be the last time in a long while he got to spend with Ronald in his arms.

* * *

><p>Early next morning, Ronald was in the shower and William was packing the last of his things. The Undertaker had stopped by late in the night and offered to keep the apartment for him, since he needed somewhere to stay when he was in the reaper's realm and he would let Ronald move in if William wasn't back by the time he graduated. William was grateful, it meant he didn't have to put everything into storage. Ronald came bouncing out, drying his hair and smiling brightly, although William was a little amused to see him moving a little stiffly.<p>

The little blonde smiled and pressed their lips together for a moment. This was killing him. Still, he smiled back and ruffled his hair, picking up Grim's travel case. "Focus on your studies, ok?"

"Of course," Ronald said, nodding quickly. "I'll be a straight A graduate, you watch. I'll be an honour student by the time you get back."

"Good," he said quietly. Picking up a towel, he wandered into the bedroom. Grim glared up at him and William glared back for a moment before stepping forwards and catching him in the towel. Grim hissed and tried to scratch but William quickly wrapped him up like a baby. "Good boy. Come on."

Holding him tightly, he walked back to the travel case, opening it and pushing Grim inside, calmly shutting the cage door again. By the time Grim managed to wiggle free, the cage was locked shut. William smiled.

"I'm sorry, Grim," he said gently. "I'll let you out when we get to our new home." Grim mewled pitifully and stuck his paw out the little holes in the door. "I know, just please, stay put. We'll be home again in no time, we just have to do this, ok?"

"Why not leave him with me?" Ronald said quietly. "I'd look after him."

"You have a basic allowance, Ronald," William replied, reaching a finger through and scratching his ear. "You couldn't afford it, even if you took an after classes job."

There was a knock on the door and William sighed. "We're here to help you with your bags, Mr Spears."

"In a minute," William called. He turned to Ronald and pecked his lips, lowering his voice. "I will right to you at least twice a week. I'll keep in touch and if anything happens, tell me and I'll try to sort it." Ronald nodded, a few tears springing to his eyes. "Don't cry, darling, please don't cry." Nodding again, he brushed away his tears. "I'll take off as much time as I can to come and see you. If anything happens, go to the Undertaker, you know, in London? The others will show you if you don't know where to go. Or Lucy. She'll look after you. Keep seeing Dr Green, ok? Keep up your therapy." Ronald nodded again and William sighed, pulling him in against his chest. "I love you. Remember that. I love you so much. No matter what anyone says, or what you hear, I love you more than anything."

"I love you too," Ronald whispered hoarsely, gripping his shirt.

William sighed and kissed the top of his head, hugging him tightly before letting him go. He needed to go before he couldn't bring himself to do it. He swung a back over his shoulder, picked up Grim's travel box and headed to the door, swinging it open. There were four young officers at the door, each taking a few bag for him and Miss Bentley. She smiled and William glared back. Ronald grabbed the last few bag as locked the door, only for an officer to take them from him. Miss Bentley glanced down at him.

"You should return to the academy, Mr Knox," she said coldly. "Let's go, Mr Spears. They're expecting you."

William nodded and followed him. Ronald followed at the back of the group but was caught at the doors by Lucy and Dr Burns. Miss Bentley glanced at Lucy who flashed a nasty smiled back, tapping the barrel of her riffle against the heel of her shoe.

"Lucinda. Fredric."

"Constance."

"Let me go," Ronald hissed.

"Shh," Lucy whispered. "You'll make it worse."

William glanced back as they carried on towards the offices. He was leaving Ronald in good hands. They would keep him safe. Ronald swore suddenly. "I forgot about Eric and Alan! How are they? What's going on?"

"Don't worry," Lucy said. "Come on, let's go and visit the hospital."

William turned away and pushed down his heartache as they carried on to the porthole. He paused and took a deep sigh. He wouldn't be gone long. He had to get back soon. And maybe Ronald would wait for him. He'd said he loved him too. William hadn't thought it would be so soon. He hadn't imagined that Ronald would love him again so soon. But he did. And that gave him hope. He stepped through the porthole and to a new, and hopefully temporary, life.


	39. Chapter 39

**A/N:** William, stop making me cry! All of you. Stop making me cry! Poor everyone. But, on the plus side Miles, Peter and Mark are back! Yays, that'll sort everything out. For those who don't remember, Miles was Ron's roommate first time round, gave him his first kiss? Everyone remember? Good. So, on we go. Please review, and thank you for everyone who does.

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><p>"Please, wake up," Ronald whispered. He didn't expect there to be any response. He could hope and pray but it had been a month. He'd been at Alan's side every day but there was no improvement. "Please, Alan, wake up. I need you right now." He whimpered and squeezed Alan limp hand in both of his, pressing a slow kiss to his lifeless fingers. "You're the only one who can help me now, Alan. I don't know what to do." He sighed as Alan stayed as unresponsive as he had been for the last month. Letting him go with one hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of letters. "I got another letter from him today. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I thought he loved me, Alan. I thought I was... special..." He adjusted his glasses slightly and tore one of the letters into shreds, dropping it in the bin next to the bed. "How stupid was I?"<p>

"You're one of the smartest kids I know." Ronald jumped and turned in the chair. A blonde young man smiled at him from the doorway and adjusted his glasses. "Don't look so scared, Knox, I'm not here to cause you any trouble. I'm Miles." Ronald smiled and shook his hand slowly. "Mr Spears loves you. Why would you think he doesn't? From what I hear, he writes to you almost daily, he has always been faithful to you. Why would you doubt him?"

Ronald blinked up at him and frowned. He felt so familiar and comforting. There was something so warm and childishly warm about him. He was the closest thing to a friend he had right now though. Everyone else was keeping secrets or unable to help him. He felt so useless. He sighed and shook his head.

"I was a reaper once before," he whispered. "I think I did some bad things but people won't talk about it." Miles smiled and ran a hand through his hair. "I found some files. I was a good officer."

"You were," Miles said gently. "You had your issues, but you were an amazing officer and a brilliant person. My cute little roommate."

"We were..." Miles smiled and nodded. "He'll be ok. You lot get yourselves in a mess every few months." He smiled and patted Ronald's head. "I've got to go, Knox. Hey, be careful. I don't want you to end up in more of a mess. If anyone deserves a second chance at life, to forget all the suffering you went through, you do."

Ronald nodded and Miles left him to it. Closing his eyes, he opened up the second letter before taking Alan's hand again, squeezing gently. "Did you know? Did you all know? That he killed me? I thought he loved me but he killed me. How can you kill someone you love?" He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment before shifting slightly and turning to the letter in his hand. "Eric wrote to you too, but looking at some of this stuff, I shouldn't read it out loud. Maybe later." Ronald sighed. "At least you know he loves you." He got up slowly and kissed his forehead, running a hand through his hair. "I have to go to class."

Alan closed his eyes, tears filling his eyes as he felt Ronald's lips against his forehead once more, his fingers sliding through his hair and slowly down to his cheek and jaw, lingering there for a moment before his footsteps moved away. His eyes opened again and he reached desperately into the darkness for Ronald but there was nothing.

"Don't leave me again!" he cried. "Ronald! Come back! Please! Come back..."

He heard the door shut and Alan was alone in the cold darkness of his mind again. For the past month he had been alone in the darkness, knowing he was lying in the hospital bed. He could hear everyone around him and he could feel everything. He was completely conscious just unable to respond. He remembered Ronald telling him about the drugs he'd been given when in medical isolation to make him more compliant and easier to talk openly to. Unfortunately too many of them could make a patient too compliant and utterly helpless and suggestible. It was how Marcus had been able to assault him without Ronald having any chance of fighting him off.

Ronald's consistent company had helped him get through. He was there every second he could be, begging Alan to wake up or just talking in general, telling him how he was struggling. He wished he could talk to him. He tried so hard every time Ronald came to him to talk and ask for help, he struggled so hard to open his eyes and reply, to tell him of course William loved him. William had never been so in love in all the time Alan had known him. He sighed and sat down in the darkness, not really sure what he was sitting on since everything was the same shade of black.

The door opened and Alan waited quietly for something to happen. There wasn't much else he could do. With Eric and Grell arrested for various crimes and William transferred away there was no one to help Ronald or him. There was fumbling and a familiar sigh. There was someone who came to see him once a day. He assumed he was a doctor but didn't recognise his voice.

"What are you doing in here?" Dr Burns snapped.

There was a clatter of glass on tiles and Alan frowned, leaning on his knees as the stranger stuttered. "Umm, well, I was just sent to give him some sedatives and painkillers."

"Not in this room you weren't," he said. Alan smiled. He didn't need painkillers or sedatives. Maybe he was just new here. "Mr Humphries is my patient. If you're new here, I suggest you talk to Nurse Cortez and she'll direct you where to go."

"Yes doctor."

His footsteps hurried out and Dr Burns sighed. "Wake up soon, Alan. Ronald needs someone right now. I think everyone does. There has to be someone responsible around here. Please, we're doing all we can but nothing's working. It's up to you now."

"I'm trying," Alan whispered. "Believe me." He sighed and brushed a few tears from his cheeks. "I'm trying."

There was a soft chuckle and Alan's head shot up. The Undertaker? Finally. How had it taken him a month to get involved in this? Everything would be back to normal soon. He could always count on the Undertaker, for some reason he seemed to amuse the old reaper without meaning to. Perhaps he'd interfere so he wouldn't lose someone so amusing.

* * *

><p>"You know," Grell said quietly. "I know the higher ups are big on paperwork and ridiculously long investigations but I think we would have heard something by now."<p>

Eric sighed and nodded. The pair were in the prison mess hall, sitting together as they eat breakfast. "We're obviously being kept under maximum security. The others would have come and seen us by now if they could have." Grell nodded quickly. "I hope Alan's ok."

"Will is still there to look after him," he replied gently, taking his hand. Eric sighed. "And that Ronald."

"What's your problem with him?" Eric said quietly, pushing his plate away. "Shouldn't you be glad we have Ron back? You two were close."

"He doesn't feel like out Ronnie anymore, Eric," Grell said, getting up and striding away. Eric frowned and ran after him. "Ronnie was my little dolly. I could help him through and he'd help me through and..." He sniffed and stopped, turning to glare up at Eric. "He was the closest thing to a child of my own I'm ever going to have and now he doesn't remember and I'm not supposed to interfere. How is that fair?"

"It's not," William said quietly. "None of this is but we're going to figure it out and then everything will get back to normal."

"Doesn't feel like it. I'll talk to you later."

He shut the door to his cell and Eric sighed. Prison wasn't helping Grell's mental stability at all. He turned away, watching the guards eyeing hi suspiciously as he returned to his own cell. He'd give it to the higher ups, they kept their criminals in a pretty luxurious place. He sighed and leant against the window. Alan was out there somewhere, working away...

He would have come if he could, wouldn't he? Alan would never leave him in here to rot if he could have come to see him. He'd never abandon him, would he? He supposed he deserved it, he did kill all those people after all. He sighed and closed his eyes.

"Alan..."

"He's still in hospital," whispered a soft voice behind him. He frowned and a slim pair of arms wrapped around his chest from behind, a small figure resting his head between his shoulders. Despite the bad news, Eric smiled slightly. "I'm sorry, Eric."

"Mark," he murmured, turning slightly. The little brunette looked up at him and smiled weakly as Eric ran his fingers slowly along his jaw. "What are you doing here?"

He smiled and sat back on the bed, pulling Eric down to join him. "I know how to get in and out. I remember from when Peter and the Undertaker saved me." Eric frowned and Mark leant against Eric's shoulder. "I was supposed to die. I was going to be publicly executed. I was six... and I was hated by everyone. I was going to be killed."

Eric nodded slowly and ran his hand through Mark's hair. He'd never seen Mark like the rest of them. It was easy to forget, when he looked at him, that the Midnight Branch was made up of the best of the best. And to be the best usually required some disregard for the rules. Almost everyone was a criminal. Even sweet little Mark.

"I'm here to help you out anyway," he said quietly. "Now..."

He leant up and pressed their lips together for a moment and Eric was about to jerk back when he realised what was happening and reached up into his hair, slowly kissing him back. Mark had his hands around Eric's sliding up his sleeve and buckling up a strap, slipping a sheathed knife into place against his arm. He took note that Mark was in the same white outfit as every other prisoner, if any guard looked in it would look like Eric was merely making out with his replacement for Alan. No one would think anything of it. Relationships between inmates didn't seem uncommon. Plus, he knew Mark would take any excuse to steal a kiss from him. Mark took his other hand and Eric took the chance to wrap his arm around him and pull him close onto his lap. Mark moaned softly fumbling with the knife slightly but managed to get it in place.

"Come on," Mark whispered, getting him up and pulling him out into the halls. "Let's hurry."

He led Eric quietly through the halls to small storage cupboard, pulling him insides. Eric frowned. He didn't mind kissing Mark as a cover, but he didn't intend to take it any further, even if Alan was in the hospital. Still, Mark pulled him inside and locked the door, a smug grin on his lips.

"This place is shielded from portholes," Mark whispered. He dropped to his knees and pushed part two large pain cans and pushed up a shelf to reveal a tiny door. Eric frowned. Seriously? "So, you have to go down the rabbit hole."

"And then we can sort all this out?"

Mark nodded. "Get Grell here later so you can get him out. I've got to go. Wait until tonight. The guards don't pay any attention to this cupboard at night. I'll see you when you're out. Straight to the Undertaker's, got it? No detours."

"Detours? Me?"

"Don't look so shocked, Slingby," he said, opening the door. "I know the first place you'll want to go. The Undertaker's, got it? I'll explain everything there."

"H-hey wait." Mark smiled and disappeared into the hole behind the door, the cans and shelf moving automatically back into place to hide it. "Never mind then..."

He sighed and unlocked the door, slowly returning through the halls to Grell's door, knocking quietly. Grell was lying on his bed, playing with his hair uninterestedly. He opened the door and sat next to him. Glaring up at him, Grell ground his teeth before turning away and closing his eyes. Eric sighed and leant against Grell's knees, resting his chin on his arms with a small smile.

"Hey, red," he murmured. "Feeling better yet?"

"Do I look like I'm feeling better?" Grell hissed. "I'm locked up away from Will and my Undertaker, my hair is a mess, I've got split ends, I can't get to my makeup, I look a mess, my baby Ronnie is dead, I'm being treated like a criminal and they're making me wear white!" He sat up and glared at him. "White is the colour of virgins. Do I look like a virgin to you? No. I wear red! Passion, Eric, love and blood! Not cutesy, pure cold white!"

"Ok..." Eric said, nodding slightly. "What if we were getting out of here?"

"We can do that?" he said quietly. Eric nodded. "How?"

"I wasn't in the Midnight Branch for seven years for nothing, Grell. We just have to wait until tonight."

* * *

><p>"Get off me," Peter groaned, nudging Grim away. "Bloody fur ball."<p>

William sighed and Peter turned to gaze up at him with a tight smile as William scooped Grim up in his arms. Grim purred and snuggled up against his chest, shooting Peter a glare. "If you must break into my home, Mr Dunham, please don't aggravate Grim. He has more right to be here than you." Grim nodded and William glanced down at him. "Don't look so smug, Grim."

"Whatever," he said with a sigh. "Do you know what's happening back in England?"

"I haven't heard," William said quietly. He sat across from Peter and Grim flopped on his lap, closing his eyes and curling up happily. "I assume things are ok. I haven't heard anything but they would have been in contact if there was something wrong, wouldn't they? I send Ronald a letter at least three times a week, I told him if anything happened he should go to the Undertaker or Miss Rose or to write to me."

Peter nodded and William frowned. Something was wrong. What had happened? If Peter, one of the highest ranking members of the Midnight Branch, was there it couldn't be good. "Alan is still in hospital, completely unresponsive to any treatment. Eric and Sutcliff are in prison. Lucinda's is restrained by rules and the orders of her superiors and other higher ups and I know they have plans for Ronald now you're out the way."

"Why didn't anyone tell me about this?" William snapped.

"The higher ups have decided you're too much trouble to keep around," Peter said. "They've fabricated evidence. Eric and Grell are seen as the troublemakers. You and Alan are out of the way while they bend Ronald to their will. You and he are good reapers, they don't want to lose you, so they're just keeping you out the way until they're sure Ronald's mind is theirs."

"I need to go home-"

"Not yet," he said firmly. "Not yet. There are other things you need to know." William frowned and nodded. "Ronald knows you killed him." His heart sunk and his stomach churned. No... No wonder Ronald hadn't come to him for help. He must hate him. "He's really in a mess. He just tears up every letter you send him."

Grim nudged his hand and William sighed, patting his head. "What am I supposed to do then? Just sit here?"

"For now," Peter said gently. "It'll be ok. We're getting Eric and Grell away, we'll take it from there. I just want to let you know. Sit tight, ok? I'll be back tonight, once we've got them."

William nodded slowly and Peter stepped through a porthole. The second the porthole closed William reached into a draw, pulling out the letter to Ronald he'd started writing that morning, tearing it into pieces. Grim jumped from his lap, playing with the pieces as they fell to the ground. Letting the pieces fall through his fingers, William felt his heart wrench. He had somehow managed to _destroy_ his relationship with Ronald. He ran his hands through his hair and closed his eyes. Ronald was the most perfect, beautiful thing to ever come into his life. Why did everything he did just seem to make him hurt more?

It was _his_ fault Ronald had been abused as a student. Richard chose Ronald because William cared for him. It was _his_ fault Ronald had been so self-destructive. He should have stepped in sooner and realised he needed help. Ronald being targeted by demons was because someone wanted _his_ attention, he was raped to get _his_ attention and _he'd_ murdered him. Why on earth had he thought Ronald would ever be able to forgive him and love him after that?

Grim mewled and stretched up on his back legs, gazing up at him pitifully. Sighing, William picked him up and wrapped him in his arms again, burying his head in his fur. How could he have been so stupid? Ronald deserved so much more. He tried so hard to please Ronald and keep him safe. He just wanted Ronald to be happy. Why did he just seem to hurt him more? Maybe it just wasn't supposed to work. Maybe the universe was trying to give him a sign. Maybe they weren't supposed to be together.

He sighed and set Grim down again, picking up a pen and paper and writing his last letter to Ronald. He wasn't going to keep writing to him. He couldn't. It would just keep hurting Ronald to keep the memories of their relationship going. William sighed. He had no choice anymore. He had to let him go. This job wasn't so bad. He could stay here and let Ronald grow up and move on. It would be worth it to make Ronald happy again. Sighing softly, he signed off the letter. The last contact he would have with his beloved Ronald. He would let him go and break of all contact so Ronald could finally have the life he deserved.

_I'm sorry, darling. Please forgive me._


	40. Chapter 40

**A/N:** Hello, that took a while longer than I expected, but that's fine. Have a new chapter. Alan's having weird dreams. And I mean weird. You've been warned. Also, contained within, Undertaker, Grell and Eric, Ron and Will and Grim, and Dr Burns doesn't like it when people mess with his patients. Thank you and please review.

* * *

><p>"Don't get so upset, Ronald," Alan whispered. He sighed, trying to stroke Ronald's hair. He knew the little blonde's head was in his lap, he could feel Ronald's weight there, but he couldn't touch him, he couldn't talk to him. He couldn't even see anything but the darkness. He closed his eyes and patted when he thought Ronald's head would be. This was all in his mind, his body couldn't move. But it didn't stop him wanting to put his arms around him and make him feel better. "Please, Ronald, he loves you. He did it to protect you. You forgave him everything else, what can't you forgive this? It was the only option. I know it's not ideal but it helped."<p>

The door opened and Ronald's weight disappeared. "Doctor?"

"Oh, sorry," laughed that same strange. "I'm still getting used to all these rooms. My mistake."

He sighed and Ronald's hands closed around his once more. Why did the world seem to be falling apart suddenly? He sighed and closed his eyes. He was starting to feel stronger. Perhaps whatever had happened to him was wearing off. He had noticed he felt stronger sometimes, usually when that new doctor hadn't managed to see him that day. He frowned. Was he poisoning him? Perhaps with Ronald and the Undertaker there he hadn't been able to. Maybe he was going to wake up soon if they stayed and stopped him poisoning him further.

A door appeared in front of him suddenly with a sign above him. **Wake Up**. He frowned and got up, going for the door only for another sign to appear on the door in big red letters. **Warning: Entrance Only**. His frown deepened and he walked around the door slowly. There was nothing on either side, but this was his subconscious. It wasn't going to make much sense. It seemed that once he went through, whatever awaited him, he couldn't come back, but it he could wake up, it was worth it, wasn't it? Returning to the front of the door, he went for the door again but another sign appeared. **Warning: One Way Only**. Closing his eyes for a moment, Alan nodded and grasped the handle. Again the sign appeared. **Warning: Dangerous Road Ahead**.

"Alright," Alan said with a sigh. "Enough warning. It's not going to be easy, I get it, I'll have to just manage, won't I?"

He pushed the door opened and was met with a bright white light. It washed over him and he was sucked through the door with a sharp, startled scream. He collapsed to the ground and there was a soft chuckle above him. Eric. He knew his voice anywhere. Lifting his gaze he found Eric smirking down at him, holding out his hand. Alan smiled and took his hand, letting Eric pull him up and wrap him in his arms, swinging him around and they moved across the floor. He smiled, very aware that he was, for some reason, in that stupid golden brown ball gown. It didn't matter though, he was wrapped in Eric's arms spinning across the floor.

"What's going on?" he whispered.

"You've got to wake up," he said. "And it's going to hurt and it's going to be really weird. You can do it."

"I have to," Alan said quietly. "You lot seem to fall apart without me. It's no wonder I have to act like your mother."

Eric smiled and Alan leant up for a kiss, only for the ground to dropped out from beneath him. He fell through the newly opened hole, ending up in a heap on the floor. Glancing up, he found a blonde woman adjusting her glasses. She smiled and held out her hand for him.

"I haven't seen you around before," she said quietly, dusting off her tight, and rather short, skirt. "Are you new around here?"

"I suppose," Alan replied. He smiled slightly noticing he was back in uniform. "Umm, I'm Alan."

The woman grinned and wrapped an arm around him, pulling him close, sliding her fingers between his in a way that reminded him too much of Eric. "Erica."

"Nice to meet you, Erica," he whispered.

"Well aren't you cute?" he laughed, turning away and pulling him down the corridors. "Come on."

They stepped through a door into a bedroom and Erica smiled, pushing him down to the bed. A female Eric. That was all he needed. He collapsed back to the bed as Erica leant over him, capturing his lips. It was a little weird but it was hardly the strangest dream he'd ever had. Even as a girl, Eric, or Erica, whatever his subconscious was playing at, was physically dominant, pressing her body against his, tangling their finger together as she undressed him. Just like Eric, always wanting to get straight to it. So far, it wasn't exactly a scary dream though. It was far less traumatising than he'd expected from the warning he got earlier.

* * *

><p>"Go to bed, Knox," the Undertaker said quietly. "Get some sleep."<p>

Ronald shook his head quickly. "Alan-"

"Do you think I won't look after him?" The Undertaker tilted his head and Ronald shook his head. "Good. Now, go one. Off to bed. You can come back in the morning."

Ronald nodded and sighed, slowly turning away and leaving the room. The Undertaker smiled and tilted his head, watching as Alan moved slightly. It was almost unnoticeable, but he caught it. The way Alan's mouth moved ever so slightly beneath his breathing mask and the way his hand moved against the sheets when Ronald was lying in his lap. The effects were finally wearing off. That was one of the reasons he'd decided to take up a more permanent watch over him.

After a few hours of watching silently, he closed his eyes and let his hat fall forwards to get some rest himself. He was a light sleeper anyway. He'd hear if anyone came in. Sure enough, as night fell and most people were settling down to sleep, the door creaked open and he opened one eye, hidden under his hair and hat. There was a young looking red head, apparently a doctor if the coat was anything to go by. He was sliding the plastic casing off a syringe and walking over to Alan's bedside.

"One insane old loon to protect you," he murmured. "How unimpressive. Still, the bosses say you're to be kept out the way."

The Undertaker chuckled and swung out his scythe to rest against his neck. The doctor was about to step back when he seemed to notice the huge curves scythe reaching around the back of his neck. A huge grin spread across the Undertaker's lips.

"Now now," he said, wagging a finger. "You should make sure the insane old loon is really asleep and unarmed before you start talking, little one. So, what bosses and why? Quickly now, I have errands to run. Let's start with who gave you these orders?"

"Miss Bentley," he said quietly.

The Undertaker sighed and rolled his eyes. Of course it was her, stuffy old bat. "Go on?"

"That's it. That's it, I swear, I don't know anything else."

"I believe you," the Undertaker chuckled. "But you're been poisoning a source of great amusement for me. I can't just let you go."

"Don't worry," Dr Burns said quietly. "If you have places to go and people to see, then off you go. I can watch over one little boy, particularly one who would dare to impersonate a doctor in my hospital just to hurt one of my patients. You should probably pick up Miss Rose on the way."

The Undertaker chuckled as Dr Burns sat on the bed, leaving him to watch the youngster and probably learn more about what had Alan had been given. Returning to his funeral parlour, the Undertaker ran his fingers over two coffins before picking up at white box with a black ribbon tied around it. He supposed it was time to drop it off. Slipping it under his arm, he opened a porthole to the Plymouth Branch. Striding through the halls, he found one of the Dispatch and Collection offices without anyone questioning his presence. Knocking on the door, he grinned as a young man with reddish-brown hair looked up and smiled, adjusting his glasses.

"Can I help you?" he said quietly.

"Supervising Officer Michael Short?" the Undertaker said. He nodded quickly and the Undertaker walked in, setting the box on his desk. "A young lady who recently died wanted you to have this."

Michael frowned and opened the lid as the Undertaker turned and left. "W-wait!" He paused. "This is a..."

"Death scythe," he said, nodding slightly. "Yes."

"Didn't Miss Galloway die last year?"

"She might as well have done, a human life is no life for a reaper, no matter how much she wanted it. She wanted to make things right though. She wanted to make things right with your family and now she has."

"What happened?" Michael called after him.

"A demon took her soul," the Undertaker replied. "And her heart. Of course, he was her demon, she wasn't going to let him take another soul once he'd had hers. They died in each other's arms. Now, if you'll excuse me."

* * *

><p>"I am <em>not<em> getting into a storage cupboard with _you_," Grell hissed. Eric sighed and pushed Grell inside. "You brutish-"

"Shut up, Grell," Eric muttered, locking the door. "Come on, we're getting out of here. Unless you want to stay."

"Get moving."

He smirked and pushed open the small door, opening a porthole on the other side. Grell glanced up at him before slipping through the door with Eric just behind him. Now, much as Eric had been warned to go straight to the Undertaker's he couldn't help stopping in at the hospital with Alan first. And there he was, lying there on the bed with a breathing mask over his face, eyes cracked open. Eric gestured to Grell to stay silent. Dr Burns hadn't noticed them. He was sitting on the bed, his back to them, watching a young reaper on the floor as blood leaked from a knick on his neck.

"Now you really shouldn't have tried that," Dr Burns said, tapping his finger on a bloody scalpel. Eric frowned, realising that was his death scythe. The boy was going to die from such a small, precise wound. Suddenly, Eric was re-evaluating his trust of doctors realising they put their lives in their hands so often and they knew every way to kill them. And he'd always thought Dr Burns was such a nice guy. "Did you think just because I'm a healer I would be a push over? Now, I would suggest you get that looked at by a professional." He sighed and wiped the blood off his scythe. "I always wanted to be a doctor, you know, I always wanted to save people and help heal people. However, I was told I had rather a temper and wouldn't be able to do it. Look at me now. You see, I channelled that temper of mine, I became very protective of my patients. I pushed that drive into saving everyone I could. And I didn't like you before you tried to overpower me and continue poisoning Alan."

He was responsible for Alan being like this? He suddenly didn't feel so sympathetic for the kid. Glancing down at Alan, he noticed the little brunette's half opened eyes on him and Grell. Whatever strength he seemed to have was rapidly fading. "Eric..."

"Huh?" Dr Burns said, spinning around.

Eric opened a porthole quickly and shoved Grell through to the Undertaker's parlour. The Undertaker chuckled seeing them, Peter and Mark sitting either side of him, chatting quietly. Seeing the pair, they got up and opened a porthole. The Undertaker waved them off and sat on his desk, munching on a biscuit.

"Now, weren't you warned not to take any detours?" he chuckled. "How is your dear Alan?"

"He was awake," Grell said. "He was reaching for Eric but he didn't look like he was going to be awake for long. He was fading fast."

The Undertaker nodded. "Poor thing. So, I think I should fill you in on what's happened."

"Shouldn't we wait for Will?" he said, leaning against the Undertaker's side, watching Eric glance around. "He won't like being left out."

"Of course, you don't know," he said. "Mr Spears was transferred to a District Supervisor position in America. He was transferred the same day you were arrested." Eric and Grell glanced at each other before staring up at him. "He doesn't seem to be doing too well. From what I hear, he'd given up at is going to just put up with it."

"Our Will would never give up," he cried.

"Grell," Eric said quietly. "Can't you see? We're all being set up. They're trying to split us up, aren't they? We work best as a group, they think by separating us we'll be broken and easy to make good, well behaved reapers, right? Alan and William just get into trouble because of us and Ron is on the fence."

"I knew there was a reason I liked you," the Undertaker laughed. "So much smart than the normal criminals I get through the Midnight Branch. So, let's get started on a plan."

* * *

><p>Ronald sighed and filed away another failed assignment. He took a seat on his bed and ran a hand through his hair. He'd been failing constantly over the past month. He couldn't concentrate. He was so focused on William and Alan and the entire mess that he couldn't focus. He closed his eyes, pulled open his bedside table and grabbed the bottle from inside, taking a long drink. There was a knock on the door and he staggered up, pulling it open. One of the secretaries was there with a letter from the late post. He frowned and took it slowly, recognising William's hand writing.<p>

Settling on the bed once more, Ronald ran his hands over the paper. Two letters in one day, it must have been important. His stomach twisted. It didn't excuse him for killing him, did it? He'd killed him. William killed him. Why did it hurt so much? Why couldn't he forgive him after everything else? He reached up to tear the paper to shreds, like he had with every other letter since he'd found that file, but a hand caught his wrist.

"That's enough, Knox," Peter said quietly. Ronald stared up at him and he smiled. "Do you love him?"

Ronald nodded and Peter smiled. "But he-"

"Love is painful," he said firmly. "Believe me, it is painful. So painful. There will be, and there had been, days when you think it's not worth it and the whole world is trying to pry you apart, and days when you can't for the life of you figure out what makes him so damn special that even when he hurts you, you want to forgive him his every flaw because that's just the way he is." Ronald frowned and he smiled, ruffling his hair. "That letter is going to tell you he won't write to you again because he doesn't want to keep hurting you." What? Ronald's eyes widened and his stomach churned. How could William be ending it? "Honestly, Ronald, there's very little in the world that hurts more than seeing the person you love in pain."

"There's someone you love?" Ronald whispered.

"So much," he replied. "And every day I watch him and remember he's in pain because of someone else. There's nothing he can do because he's madly in love with someone else. Someone who won't ever love him back. It's all a big lovey mess. Now, you have two choices. Tear that note up like every other one while you wallow in misery or read it and see the official end of your relationship with William. Both those will leave you in a mess. Or, you will put that letter down, so you have no idea what's in it, and you can come with me and save the best think you've ever had. What'll it be?"

"Why are you helping me?"

"Decide, kid."

In a second Ronald made his choice, dropping the letter and bottle into the bin, grasping Peter's outstretched hand. A green porthole appeared and Peter pulled him through. He stumbled slightly and was met by a loud meowing. Peter smiled slightly and pulled him upright. Grim was sitting on the kitchen counter, staring up at him happily. Ronald smiled, sweeping him up and hugging him close. He smiled, glancing around. It was a nice place. There was movement in the other room and the door opened to a reveal a very tired looking William.

"What is all the noise about, Gri-" He stumbled back as Ronald threw his arms around him. "Ronald?" He smiled and wrapped his arms around him. "I thought you were mad at me."

Ronald smiled and snuggled into his chest. "I am, but that doesn't mean I don't still love you." He stepped back and smiled up at him. "I missed you."

Sitting down slowly, Ronald pulled William down at his side. William smiled awkwardly as Grim bounced up onto Ronald's lap, looking like he was settling for the night as revenge for being dumped so unceremoniously the second William arrived. "So, how've you been?"

"Umm..." He frowned and sighed. "I'm failing a lot of my classes. I've been at Alan's side most of the time, worrying over him and he's not getting any better and I'm exhausted and, maybe, a little tipsy, I've had a few to drink tonight."

"Why?" William said, gazing down at him and squeezing his hand.

"Why what?" Ronald said quietly. "There's a lot of crap I need to explain."

"All of it," he replied. "Ronald..." He sighed and rested his head against Ronald's. "This isn't working, darling."

"Are you dumping me?" he cried, jerking back. "I came here because I wanted to put things right and sort it out."

"I'm not dumping you." Ronald frowned. Now he was really confused. "I just think we have other things to focus on right now. So, what I'm proposing is that we give it time."

"How much time? Didn't we try this before?"

"Ronald-"

"No, we tried keeping our hands off each other, it didn't work."

"It will work this time, and do you know why?" Ronald frowned slightly at the new, demanding and firm tone. He shook his head, at a loss for words. "Because I'm not going to allow there to be anything intimate between us again until you've graduated."

"What?" Ronald cried, glaring up at him. "You can't do that!"

"Bring your grades back up you'll graduate in five years," William said firmly. "I promise, I won't touch anyone else, I could never do that while you're still around, but if this is ruining your grades and your career. So, until your graduate there will be nothing physical between us, understand?"

"But- but-"

"Do you understand, Ronald?"

"What if I just got my grades up?" Ronald argued.

"No, Ronald," William said firmly. Ronald sighed and William kissed his hand. "It's for the best Ronald. Everything I've done for you if what I thought was best. No matter how much it hurts, I'm putting you first. Do you understand?"

Ronald nodded slowly and flung his arms around William's neck, Grim hissing as had to scramble off his lap. William sighed and stroked his hair gently. He supposed he understood why he was saying it. He'd have to be good and bring his grades up quickly then. He could be out in five years and back in William's bed in no time. He sighed and leant up, pressing one last, desperate kiss to his lips, not knowing when he'd next get to do so. When they pulled apart, William was smiling gently.

"And I'm so sorry I killed you, Ronald."

"It's ok," Ronald whispered, nodding slowly. "I mean, it's not _ok_ but I get it. It's complicated but I... I know you thought it was the only thing you could do and that it was what you thought would help me and make me right again. It feels weird but I don't hate for it. I'm just trying to work it out."

William nodded slowly and squeezed his hands. "Haven't you got assignments to do back home?"


	41. Chapter 41

**A/N:** Weeee. I'm being productive today. I've got an original chapter done and a fanfic chapter done. Go me! Now if I could be bothered to draw I'd be awesome. So, on with the chapter. And poor little Alan's having weird dreams again. Poor Alan. So thanks for everyone who's reviewed, please keep them coming.

* * *

><p>"You're doing alright then, Ronald?" William said over the phone. Ronald smiled at the warmth in his voice. He was allowed one long distance call a week as a student and for the past two weeks he'd called William. "I know I keep asking but I worry about you."<p>

"I'm ok, Mr Spears," Ronald replied, shifting the phone so he could write. "I mean, I'm exhausted but I'm making time for my school work, I promise."

"You shouldn't push yourself so much," he said. "I know you're worried about Alan, but you're going to burn out if you're not careful."

"I know," he said with a sigh. "He's getting there slowly. Dr Burns said he's getting better, he says he expects him to wake up any time soon. Hey, what's the procedure for a broken record?"

"Well it's- wait," William said, and Ronald could almost see him glaring. "Are you doing your homework right now?"

"No," Ronald said quickly. "Umm, there's some others waiting. I should go. I'll talk to you again next week, ok? Love you, bye."

"Don't ask me to do your homework for you again. I love you too, go on. Get your work done."

"Bye."

Hanging up, Ronald picked up his stuff and hurried to William's old apartment. The Undertaker had taken to watching over Alan every moment he had spare. Ronald tried to stay with him as often as possible, but his elders often insisted he should go to classes or back to his room to sleep. William had kept every one of his files from before he was reborn. He opened the spare bedroom and began digging into the boxes and files. Ronald smiled and found his old academy files. It wasn't cheating. They were _his_ assignments after all. Picking them up and shoving them in his bag, Ronald ran out to the hospital.

"You shouldn't run, Ronald," the Undertaker chuckled as he burst into Alan's hospital room. "What on earth is so important you need to burst in here like that?"

"I just wanted to get here to watch over him," Ronald replied. He sat down and pulled out his files, copying his previous work almost work word for word. Ronald smiled and tilted his head slightly. "Do you think he dreams?"

"He might even be conscious," he said.

"You hear that, don't you? That they're awake just unable to move or speak or see." He sighed and glanced up. "How long do you think until he wakes up?"

"The doctors say not long," he replied. "I'd think we should trust their opinion."

Ronald nodded and returned to his work. After about half an hour he became aware that the Undertaker had moved around and was watching over his shoulder. He lifted his head and glanced up at him. He looked like he was holding in laughter. He sighed.

"What?"

"Nothing," he chuckled, stepping away and taking his seat once more.

Ronald frowned. "No, seriously, what?"

"Nothing," he said quietly. "Carry on." Ronald frowned and returned to his work. "Just that you're almost word for word. Do you think you're teachers are stupid?"

"Compared to me."

"Oh, you are getting cocky."

* * *

><p>"This isn't fair," Alan cried, his voice echoing through the empty corridors. "Why won't you let me out? Why won't you let me go? Let me wake up!"<p>

"Because you're not ready yet," Eric said from the other end of the hall. "I told you it wouldn't be easy."

"Eric!"

He ran after him, his footsteps echoing around him. He stopped at the end, where the corridor split in two. There was no sign of Eric, just more empty halls and doors. He turned, glancing down both halls. He'd been wandering around the maze of empty halls that looked a lot like the offices building he worked in. He didn't know how long he'd been here anymore. He couldn't sense the world around him anymore. He had to still be in that hospital bed, but he could no longer hear Ronald's voice, or feel him holding his hands. A horrible thought flickered into his mind every now and again but he forced it down. What if he was dead though? What if he'd drifted further and died and was now locked in this empty maze forever?

What could he do though? Two thoughts came to him. Get to the ground floor and out or get to their office. He strode through the dark corridors, the lights around him flickering on and off. The doors and halls around him kept changing. Ronald walked past him suddenly, he'd merely stepped out a door and walked passed. He turned to follow him but Ronald didn't seem to notice him.

"Ronald." The blonde didn't seem to hear. "Ronald!"

He spun around suddenly and Alan slammed to the ground, Ronald crouching above him, his eyes glowing a vivid, bloody red. Gasping he kicked and struggled and managed to twist and shove Ronald off. He bolted down the corridor, swinging around the corner and very aware that Ronald was on his heels.

"Ronald, please," he cried. "What's wrong with you?"

He stumbled slightly and suddenly Ronald was back in front of him, blocking his path. "You should have kept me safe. You let him kill me. You let him take away who I was. Why didn't you stop him?"

"I didn't know he was going to kill you, Ronald, I swear I didn't," he said quickly, backing up slightly.

"You keep saying you're going to protect me!" he cried.

"I'm sorry, Ronald," he said quietly. "I'm so sorry."

He grabbed the handle of the closest door and flinging himself inside and Ronald lunged at him. He shut it quickly and turned to the office inside. William was standing there, and behind him there was a desk piled high with paperwork. William adjusted his glasses and gaze him a cold glance.

"You're late, Mr Humphries," he said. "You need to get to work."

"Work?" Alan cried. "No, I need to get out and wake up."

"No," he snapped. "You need to work."

He adjusted his glasses again and a chains shot out from the desk, shackles locking around his wrists and dragging him forwards to the desk where a chair zipped across the room, knocking into his legs so he fell into it. More shackles locked around his ankles, holding him in the chair and more chains going to his wrists holding him firmly in place. He stared up at William until he pushed a pen and paper in front of him. It was blank. He wasn't even given any forms. Just paper.

Suddenly a title appeared on the paper. **Explain the procedure for dealing with a broken or damaged cinematic record.** There was a soft chuckle and a sigh. Ronald and the Undertaker. Was he getting closer to consciousness again? He struggled against the chains and staring up at William.

"William," he begged. "Please, you have to let me go. I need to help Ronald and the others."

William gazed at him coldly, showing no recognition at all. How could this be happening? He just wanted to wake up and be with the people he loved. Why was that so hard?

"I know you're hurting, William," he said firmly. "But there is more to life that paperwork. Please. You can't just burying you pain in reports and pretend you don't have to face it."

Suddenly the chains snapped and he managed stagger up and get out into the halls again. There had to be a way out. Every door seemed to lead to another door or corridor or some kind of twisted new situation. Nothing seemed right. He carried on running through the deserted hall until he reached the stairs. Just as he stepped into the stairwell, he was pounced on by a pink and red blur.

Grell was sitting above him, in that weird Cheshire Cat outfit he loved. He grinned and played with his tail. "You don't want to go down there, little mousy. _He's_ down there. He'll find you."

"Who?" he whispered.

"The _Reaper_."

"W-what?" he cried, struggling out from under him. "We're all... You're all insane. This is a dream. It's just a dream. I have to wake up."

He turned and ran into the stairwell. "I'll just have to eat you up when he's done with you, little mousy. Watch out for the thorns. They can be _murder_!"

Alan ran down the stairs as fast as he could before there were quiet steps coming towards him. He glanced up the stairwell and there was a shadowy figure coming down. His breath caught in his throat realising what he was seeing. The figure coming towards him was draped in living shadows. Just what humans claimed to see when they were allowed to live on. He shook his head and spun away, racing down the stairs. The reaper was getting closer. He glanced over the side and realised he was only a few floors up. He could survive that.

Without giving himself time to think again, Alan swung over the railing and to the ground floor. He sprung up to run on but froze. The doors were right there but the reaper was standing in his way. There was a rustling behind him and he turned. Thorny vines were creeping across the floor towards him.

Alan glanced around, desperate for the way out. He could make a desperate run for the stairs again, or try to slip passed the reaper who was slowly approaching. The thorns were slipping closer too. In his moment of hesitation, the reaper caught him around his waist pulling him away. The thorns flew forwards, slamming into his chest and stomach and a scream tore from his throat. The reaper tilted his chin and his mouth fell over his, muffling his screams. He went to push him away as the thorns writhed within him but he suddenly realised he was staring up at Eric.

"Alan," called Ronald's voice. "Come on, Alan, wake up. Come back to us."

Screaming again as the thorns tore through him, the pain whiting out his vision, Alan twisted violently and a blade drove through his chest. And suddenly he could hear himself screaming again, arching up off the bed and grasping Ronald's hand and shoulder desperately as tears poured down his cheeks.

"Hey," Ronald whispered shakily. "Hey, you're ok. Dr Burns is coming. Don't struggle. Calm down, you're ok."

The next thing Alan knew he was opening his eyes as if from a deep sleep. Next to him Ronald was holding his hand as he wrote quietly. He groaned softly and there was movement off to his right. The Undertaker sat up and shifted his hat, grinning over at them.

"You're ok," Ronald whispered. He shifted to sit next to him and hugged him tightly. "I was so worried about you."

Alan smiled slightly and wrapped his arms around him, struggling to sit up and burying his head in his shoulder, wanted to make everything better. Poor little Ronald. But then, who knew how long he'd been out. Perhaps things had got better... or maybe worse...

"Ronald," he breathed.

"It's ok," he said gently. "It's ok. The doctors said you were ok. You really scared us when you wake up screaming like that. They sedated you and said you'd be pretty ok when you woke up. You _are_ ok, aren't you? You don't feel bad or anything?"

"No," he said gently. "I feel fine, actually. Umm, how long have I...?"

"A month and a half," the Undertaker chuckled. "You had us quite worried."

Ronald smiled and nodded, nuzzling against his jaw. Smiling slightly, Alan sighed and stroked his hair. "Ronald, what about you and William? Are you two ok now? He mean, you know, he only did it because he loved you. He thought it was for the best."

"How do you-"

"I heard you," Alan said gently.

He smiled, brushing Ronald's cheeks gently before he frowned and smacked the back of his head. Ronald squeaked and grabbed his head, whimpering slightly and looking confused. Alan shook his head. He hadn't hit him _that_ hard.

"What was that for?" Ronald whined.

"What on earth do you think you're doing?" Alan snapped. "You think I didn't hear? You're failing your classes." Ronald turned bright red and glanced away guiltily. "Ronald, I get you were worried but why would you let things get so bad you'd start failing?"

"I-I'm sorry, Alan, but things just got kind of got out of hand and..." He trailed off as Alan glared at him. "I'm sorry."

"Give him a break, little one," the Undertaker chuckled, patting his head. "He was worried about you and Mr Spears has already set him right. He's pulling his grades up again."

"Are you ok with William again?" Alan whispered.

"I guess," Ronald muttered. "It's complicated, I guess. We're kind of together but we're going slow. He says we can't do anything physical until I graduate. And not he's putting on rules, like I have to graduate with a high pass. He almost put it up to being an honour student. Like I'm going to spend that much time studying, I have a life."

"I was an honour student," he said, shooting Ronald a glare. Ronald smiled sheepishly and Alan sighed, wrapping his arms gently around him. "I hope you guys are going to be ok."

"Well," the Undertaker said, patting them both on the head. "I need to get back to my clients, so please, look after each other."

* * *

><p>"Get off of me!" Eric snapped, shoving Grell off. "What's wrong with you?"<p>

Grell sighed and laid his head on Eric's lap. Eric considered shoving him off but didn't. Instead he sat back and watched him braiding his hair. "I'm so tired, Eric. This is so boring. We're just sitting here. Why can't we do anything? Who knows what they're doing to our Will or our little Alan?"

"You are allowed to care about Ron," he said firmly.

"He's _not_ our Ronnie."

"Why do you keep insisting that?"

"Good news," the Undertaker chuckled, walking in. "Your little Alan has woken up."

"Is he ok?" Eric said, jumping up and almost knocking Grell to the ground. "Is there someone with him?"

"Ronald is watching over him," he replied, sitting down. "He did make us worry though. He woke up screaming and crying. The poor little thing. Although, he's already told Ronald off for his dropping grades. I think he'll make a full recovery."

Eric sighed and sat back on one of the coffins. Alan was ok. Finally, he'd woken up. At least not he could stop worrying about that. There were other things to worry about, of course, but Alan was almost at the front of his mind. And if he was already mothering Ronald, that had to be a good sign, didn't it?

"We need to see William."

"Really?" Grell cried. "We can go see Will?" The Undertaker and Eric nodded. "Finally."

He opened up a porthole and they stepped through. William was lying on the couch, apparently asleep, with Grim on his lap and a book open on the floor. Grell grinned and Eric grabbed him, holding him back from inevitably jumping on him and waking him up. The Undertaker walked over slowly as Grim opened his eyes lazily. William's eyes opened slowly and sat up, slowly pushing Grim off. The little kitten bounced off and onto the back of the couch, watching the others.

"What are you lot doing here?" he groaned.

"Alan's woken up," Eric said. "We can get on with making the people who did this suffer, right?"

William frowned and Eric could almost see William's mind turn to Ronald, to what kind of cookie-cutter reaper they could make him if there was no one there to help. That's what the higher ups liked after all; perfect little reapers who followed the rules to the letter and didn't question any orders. William had the first part right, but he had too much strength of will. He questioned orders and had a high moral standard.

"I suppose," William said. "But we have to be careful. You two will be arrested on sight and your death scythes have been locked up."

"We already know it's Miss Bentley," Eric said quietly.

"So," Grell said. "We storm her office and make her pay?"

"No," the Undertaker said. "They are higher ups. That would only make things worse. This has to be done by the book."

"What do you suggest?" William said.

"Keep Eric with you-"

"No, I need to go back and keep an eye on Alan," Eric said, shaking his head quickly. "And Ron. Someone has to keep an eye on them."

"They will be fine," the Undertaker said firmly. "I'm going to continue to watch over them. However, it's best if you and Grell are kept separated. That way, if one of you is found, the other still has a chance."

They all nodded slowly and the Undertaker pushed Grell back through a porthole. "We'll be in touch. Give me time and try not to do anything stupid. You keep him in line, Mr Spears." William nodded and Grim bumped the Undertaker's leg. He chuckled and petted his head. "Yes, you too. Don't worry, we'll have this sorted out soon."


	42. Chapter 42

**A/N:** Me and my baby computer offer you a time skip. Because we couldn't do filler forever. Let's go. Alan and Ron bonding, and Alan proving why you don't mess with him. He's not as weak and cute as he looks, as Ron is about to figure out. So, thank you for all your reviews, please keep them coming.

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><p>"Ronald," Alan snapped. Ronald flinched and Alan sighed. "Look, here."<p>

Ronald frowned and glanced down at where Alan was pointing. He reread his paper quickly and sighed, realising he'd written the same sentence three times. He and Alan were sitting in the academy library. Suddenly, Ronald shut his book and ran out. Alan frowned but followed him. He was supposed to be working. It was Alan's job to keep his grades up. He'd promised William and Eric he'd look after Ronald. Of course that was easier said than done. It was only when he was given the task of being Ronald's mentor that he realised just what a handful he could be.

When Ronald finally stopped they were at the phone and Alan realised what was happening. It was Ronald's allotted time to call William. Ronald settled in his chair and quickly called up William. Alan knew this was the most important thing time of the week for Ronald. He and William had their time together, and nothing but a life or death situation would cause Ronald to miss it.

"William," Ronald said with a big grin. "No, I'm ok. I got more perfect grades." He laughed and Alan slipped up onto the table, Ronald promptly resting his head in his lap. "Alan's great. He's been a big help."

Alan smiled as he stroked his hair as they continued to chat. Life was frustrating at the moment. Ronald had just started his fourth year in the academy and was due to graduate as a fifth year. Alan was incredibly proud of him and had been more than happy to take the position as his mentor for the last two years. Things were moving slowly in other areas. Three higher ups had been arrested for corruption, but it wasn't enough to clear Grell and Eric of their charges, or to bring William home. He took Ronald to see Eric and William when he could, and to find Grell and the Undertaker. Things were difficult but they'd got used to it. Things would work themselves out eventually. They always did.

"I wish you could be here with me, William," Ronald whispered. "Any idea when you can come home?" Alan sighed and stroked his hair. "No, there's nothing wrong with Alan. He's great. I just... you know, miss you..." Alan laughed softly as Ronald blushed heavily and giggled. "Come home soon."

Alan smiled as Ronald continued to chatter, just gently stroking his hair. He'd be grateful when things got back to normal. He was in a new division and didn't really get on with many people he worked with now. He almost wished he could be back in the academy with Ronald. Things seemed so easy with Ronald. It was simple, he knew him and knew how things worked with him. Ronald was the best thing there at the moment. Being with Eric was great, he still loved him with all his heart, but visits were few and far between. Ronald was constant and reassuring. And was tugging on his sleeve.

He glanced down at Ronald offered him the phone. "He wants to talk about my grades."

"Oh," Alan said quietly, taking it from him.

He'd only been Ronald's mentor a three weeks. He knew he wasn't the best at the combat side of things but he knew technique. He helped there, even if he wasn't physically strong like Ronald and Eric. He supposed Eric much had struggled teach him given how different they were. He knew how important keeping Ronald's grades up was to William. He was going to get into trouble with him if they got too low.

"William?"

"Not quite," Eric replied. Alan smiled slightly and Ronald squeezed his hands. "Just act like you're talking to William and everything will be fine, no one will know who you're really talking to. Are you looking after him, sweetheart?"

"Of course," Alan said, squeezing Ronald's hand back. "It's hard work. He doesn't focus enough. He's like a certain blonde I used to know. Talented but so unfocused and kind of lazily."

"I don't like you anymore," he muttered. "I'm glad someone's looking after him. I miss you." Alan smiled and lowered his head. "You wait until I next get my hands on you, sweetheart."

"Oh?" he said with a small smirk. "Are you going to give me some sort of reward for looking after Ronald?"

Eric chuckled slightly and lowered his voice. "Of course I'd reward you. I'm going to throw you down on the bed, strip you off and make love to you all night long."

Alan smiled and blushed heavily as Ronald sat up, trying to listen. "What's he saying?"

"Shh, Ronald," he whispered, pushing him away slightly. "So, what happens if I can't keep his grades up?"

"Well," Eric purred. "Then I'd have to punish you, wouldn't I?"

"What kind of punishment did you have in mind?" Alan said quietly.

"That would depend on just how bad you were." Ronald rolled his eyes and went to get up, apparently realising what was happening, but Alan pushed him back down. He probably would go out drinking and messing around with his friends and classmates and Alan wouldn't be able to get him back tonight. "I might have to make you slip into that cute little maids outfit."

"Really?" he said. "Sounds like you've got this all planned out. What if I refuse?"

"Don't we still have that pretty ball gown?"

"Alan," Ronald whined. "You promised we'd do more combat training today. You know the private training rooms close early, we have to go."

"Ronald," he said with a sigh. "I suppose we should go really, shouldn't we?" He sighed and closed his eyes. "Alright." He nodded to himself. "I've got to go train with Ronald."

"It's no problem, sweetheart," Eric replied quietly. "Keep him safe. Protect him. Please."

"Of course," he whispered.

"Good," he said. "Good. And look after yourself. You're not in the best shape, I know you're stronger than you were with the Thorns, but you know they did a lot of damage, look after yourself."

"I will," Alan whispered. "Everything will be just ready for you when you get back. I'll have everything back to normal, don't worry. Did you want to say goodbye to Ronald?"

"Yeah, put him on."

"Bye. Take care of yourself."

"I will. William is keeping me locked up. Bye."

He handed the phone back to Ronald and the little blonde took it. Alan watched quietly, watching him saying goodbye to both Eric and William from the sound of it, ending with a sweet little 'I love you'. He remembered being that young and so in love with Eric. He would have given anything to be able to talk to him like that.

When they were done, Alan led Ronald out to the training centre. Lots of people liked to train after work and those mentoring took their students to learn after work. Practise rooms filled up quickly and closed early. He remembered Eric used to take him out to the woods and fields just outside the city to learn sometimes, just because it was easier. They were lucky though, there was a room left. Sliding off his jacket and hanging it on the hook on the back of the door he turned to Ronald. He was grinning back at him.

"Ready?" Alan said.

Ronald nodded quickly, sliding off his jacket and waist coat. They'd never actually sparred properly before, so Alan wanted to see what Ronald could do. Even before Ronald's rebirth, they'd never managed to make time. He knew Ronald had still trained with Eric and Grell, and even William sometimes. He knew Ronald was strong and agile so they'd see what he could do.

"I want this to be a proper fight, Ronald," he said quietly. "You've had combat tests before, right? Just like that. Sparring with me, ok? Don't think you need to go easy on me. I'm tougher than I look."

"I know you are," he said. "Come on then."

Alan smiled and motioned for Eric to come at him. Ronald's grinned widened and he took a moment to observe Alan's stance, bouncing on his toes. After a long moment, Ronald smiled and swung for him. It was almost half hearted, more like a testing shot, and Alan moved easily to block it, twisting and driving his knee up into Ronald's stomach to knock him off balance. He smiled as Ronald stumbled back.

"Come on, Ronald," he laughed. "I thought you were better than that."

"Right," Ronald said.

He smirked and Ronald smiled. He bounced forwards, this time throwing a much quicker, more purposeful punch. Alan could practically feel the power behind it as Ronald's fist whistled passed his ear. Obviously his words hadn't fallen on deaf ears, he'd barely managed to avoid that shot. Ronald smirked and whipped around, attempting to get in a kick only for Alan to catch his ankle, spinning around on his heel, knocking Ronald's leg from under him and throwing him to the ground with a thud. Ronald groaned, obviously winded, and Alan smiled, picking up a dummy scythe, swinging down at Ronald who quickly rolled away. He should learn not to just lie there in the middle of a battle.

"That's not fair, Alan," he muttered, climbing to his feet.

Alan smiled and nodded, giving a half-hearted swing of the scythe, which went just over Ronald's head. He didn't expect to lose to Ronald, even hand to hand, he'd been around fifty years older than Ronald before his rebirth. He didn't really think he was going to lose to a student, even if he was Ronald.

"Do you think demons are fair in battle?" Alan said quietly. This time when he swung for Ronald, the little blonde caught the long handle of the scythe, stopping him with his impressive strength. "Do you think a demon would just ignore a death scythe lying around?" Ronald smirked and went to snatch away the scythe but Alan twisted the dummy scythe, wrenching Ronald's wrists and slamming it into his side. "Do you think this job is fair, Ronald?" He twisted and threw Ronald to the ground once more, landing astride his chest, the handle of the scythe across his throat. "People die doing this job, Ronald, we're ending people's lives. It's not _fair_. This is never going to be _fair_. Learn to deal with it or this time you won't get a second chance."

"Alan?"

Alan growled and kept him pinned firmly as he struggling, tears springing to his eyes. "Do you have any idea what kind of hell this has been for us? Do you have any idea how much it hurt to see you in so much pain and know we couldn't do anything to protect you? That we'd failed you? None of what happened was fair, Ronald. That's why I have to be so harsh on you, do you understand? Because I can't lose you again. I'm going to make sure no one ever put you in that position again, so no one ever makes you so miserable again, and that means I have to make you stronger. Even if it makes you hate me, even if I have to hurt you to do it, I have to make you strong enough to handle this." Ronald stared up at him silently in shock, and Alan knew he understood, but he couldn't stop everything pouring out. "This is what Eric and William are supposed to do, this was supposed to be their role. I never got involved in training you because I thought they were enough, but you wouldn't let them in. They trained you in combat but it wasn't enough. You were still so guarded. You thought you were protecting yourself by pushing everyone away and hiding behind a mask but you weren't. You made yourself weaker and stopped us helping you. I won't let it happen to you again. It's down to me so I won't let them down. I'll make sure you're strong enough this time. I won't let them or you down again, Ronald. I won't."

To his amazement, Ronald twisted and rolled him over onto his back, pinning him to the ground. For the first time, Alan realised there were tears slipping down Ronald's cheek too but he was smiling back at him. Why on earth was he smiling? Ronald stepped back slowly and pulled him up, gently wrapping him in his arms.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't realise it still hurt this bad."

"No," Alan said, burying his head in his shoulder. "It doesn't but… Sometimes I look back and remember how good it used to be and it just gets on top of me sometimes. I'm your mentor now, I'm supposed to make sure you can handle everything this job is going to throw at you and I really don't know if I'm up to it."

"You can do it," he replied, hugging him close. "I'll behave, I'll do everything I can to help you. We have to look after each other, don't we?"

"I'm sorry, I must seem really stupid," he said. "I just don't want to let anyone down again." He smiled and reached up, stroking his cheeks to brush away his tears. "We'll be ok." He stepped back and wiped his own tears. "Let's get back to work."

Ronald smiled and nodded. They worked for a good hour or so before the building was being closed down for the night and they were forced to leave. By then, everything seemed to be easier again. Alan supposed it was just one of those things he needed to get out of his system. Still, he'd managed seven years without Eric when he worked with the Midnight Branch. He could carry on a little longer. He kept reminding himself that there was an on-going investigation into the corruption on with the higher ups. New charges were being drawn up every week but very few people were being punished and very little was being changed. Still, it was only a matter of time.

They were walking quietly back towards the dorms and Ronald linked his arm with Alan's letting his lean against him. Close relationships were less scrutinized than a student being close to a normal officer. They were expected to spend hours together. He had Ronald, he could get by focusing on looking after him.

Spending time gave him an excuse to talk to Eric too, apparently. Ronald had recently moved to a private room, since he was going to graduate early. He'd been moved to the rooms for those focusing on graduation, away from the younger students. It meant Alan could spend more time with just him though. He smiled and sat on Ronald's bed, watching him changing out of his uniform.

"Alan," he said quietly.

"Yeah?"

"How did I get those scars on my back?" Ronald said, turning to him. Alan sighed and Ronald sat next to him. "Alan?"

"There was a terrible man," Alan said gently, running his fingers over his back. "He was a teacher and he enjoyed torturing his students." Ronald frowned and Alan tried to smile reassuringly. "One day he took it too far and a student died. You were one of his last ones. He used to drug you and get you drunk and then chain you up and… Those are from when he too his death scythe to you. Just to see how much you could take."

Ronald nodded slowly. "I just wanted to know. I don't like knowing there are things in my life I don't know about and it's easy to say it wasn't really me, not the same me, but it kind of was. It's so confusing."

"I know, and you've done so well to make it this far. I can't imagine how hard this must be for you. You're doing so well though, I'm so proud of you. I wish I could say it more often but I am." He smiled and kissed his forehead. His dear little Ronald. He'd got to watch over him as he grew and this time everything was going alright. "Eric's right, I do get far too motherly over you."

Ronald laughed and nodded, shifting to lie across his lap and closing his eyes. Without giving it a second thought, Alan ran a hand through his hair and gently kissed his cheek. In just under two years Ronald was going to graduate and become a full reaper once more. What if William wasn't back by then? And Eric and Grell too? What if they were alone? It was all very well saying it was just a matter time before they came back, but he hoped and prayed that they'd all be home in time. He knew Ronald would be devastated if they weren't.

"What was I like before?" Ronald whispered.

"Like you are now," Alan replied.

"No, I mean… I've got William," he said, rolling over to gaze up at him. "I've always had William. He's been my first for everything and I love him but, you know, what was my love life like before I was reborn?"

"Oh," he muttered. He frowned and tilted his head slightly. "Well, you were a bit of a playboy, like Eric once was. Only, he did it because he was bored, you were in a different bed every night because you were honestly looking for someone to love. You wanted more than someone who would just use you for their own pleasure but you'd convinced yourself that no one would ever be interested in you if they knew the real you. So you gave everyone the mask of happy smiles and laughter, a shallow, promiscuous child who didn't care what you did to him. Eric saw you though. He pulled you home one night and we couldn't let you go after that."

"Have we…?"

Alan nodded and Ronald blushed bright red. "I mean, it wasn't just me and you. It's never just been us." Ronald's blush deepened and he smiled. "The first time it was me, you and Eric. And the second time it was me, you and William."

"So, I really got around, huh?"

"I know," Alan said gently. "But we won't let you fall that low again. At least… I won't…"


	43. Chapter 43

**A/N:** Dum dum dummmm. Update! Yep, you read that right. There's an update. Alan and Ronald are being cute. Eric's being Eric, Grell is being Grell and William and Grim don't feature in this chapter. That's next chapter. Thank you for all your reviews last chapter (and for being so patient) and please keep them coming.

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><p>"Ronald," Alan said quietly, slipping Ronald's glasses academy glasses back onto his nose, trying to get the youngster to stop fidgeting of a few moments. It was less than a week until his graduation and he'd got to see the glasses he was going to wear at work. The big thick frames he'd had before. It had got the young reaper all worked up. "Deep breaths. Go on, breathe deeply." Ronald nodded slightly, glancing down at his new glasses. Alan had seen them on him and couldn't stop smiling. Their old Ronald was returning to them. "I thought you'd be excited. You look terrified."<p>

Ronald smiled slightly. "It's not that I'm not pleased to be graduating, it's just… graduating without William here."

"He'll be here," he said firmly. Alan had to keep believing William would make it for Ronald's graduation. He had to make Ronald believe it too. The Undertaker had sworn that he'd get William home in time. He trusted him entirely. "You have to trust them, Ronald, he'll get home in time."

Ronald nodded slightly and Alan led him out. They had to get him a scythe too. The academy was buzzing with excitement as everyone preparing for the graduation. Ronald slid his finished between Alan's and let him lead him through the halls. Alan still loved Eric, but he'd gone back to the Midnight Branch while things settled. Grell had been cleared of his charges and was home, but Eric was still a criminal. The Midnight Branch was perfectly willing to have him back and shelter him. Of course, just as before, that meant he never knew when he was next going to see him. Ronald still called William every week for as long as he could and Ronald went to see him whenever he could.

It didn't stop them both getting lonely though. Alan and Ronald both wanted physical affection and they needed attention. It was that need and longing that resulted in the pair ending up having drunken sex one night, and the ensuing affair. William and Eric both knew, everyone knew, and they both agreed it could be beneficial for both the younger reapers. Neither he nor Ronald had much experience outside their respective partners, they'd all agree it could do them good to have someone else to care for them. Of course, Eric trust Ronald and Alan together, and while William was more reluctant he'd agreed.

They ended up back in Alan's apartment. Ronald pounced on Alan almost the second the door was shut, pulling him around and their lips pressing together as he wrapped his arms around Alan's waist and pushing him to the wall next to the door with a little more force than was necessary. Not that Alan really cared where they were or how rough Ronald could be. He wrapped his arms tightly around Ronald's neck, pulling him closer. He didn't love Ronald like Eric and he knew he wasn't Ronald's William, but they loved each other, in a different sort of way. He pulled Ronald back towards the bedroom, still locked together in a heated kiss, but ended up falling to the couch instead.

"I love it when you put on a show for me, sweetheart."

Ronald sat up so fast he smacked his head against Alan's and Alan himself ended up tumbling back, both of them staring over at the armchair. Eric was there watching them with a lewd smirk. Alan sighed and leant against the back of the couch, glaring back at him.

"I wasn't expecting you to drop in on us, Eric," Alan said. "Any news?"

"Some, none that you want to hear though," Eric replied. "You know we'll tell you the second there's anything. Feel free to carry on."

"Get out or come to bed, kid," Eric growled, pulling Alan away.

Alan gave Ronald a weak shrug and followed Eric back to the bedroom. Ronald understood. He'd abandon Alan for William the second he asked for him. Ronald grinned back at him as the door shut and Eric pulled him back to the bed. Alan smiled slightly and tripped Eric up, pushing him down to the mattress. Of course, Eric wasn't used to being pushed around and stared up at him, looking completely lost.

It had been months since he'd last seen Eric. He'd taken a liking to be in control of the relationship. Ronald, despite having his memories removed, had his trust issues so deeply ingrained into his instincts they were never going to disappear completely. He needed someone he could put his faith in and trust. Alan had discovered he rather liked taking a more dominant role in the bedroom. He'd also discovered the stories Grell had been spouting about Ronald's bedroom activities might not have been as made up and exaggerated as he'd imagined.

Alan smiled and climbed up onto the bed, leaning over and capturing his lips in a gentle kiss. Eric went to roll him over but Alan chuckled and kept him down. "Well, this is new, sweetheart."

"You didn't think I'd let a junior like Ronald take advantage of me like you do, did you?" Alan purred. He sat back and sighed and Eric groaned. "I'm worried about him."

"No you're not," Eric said firmly, pulling him back. "Not now, don't do this to me. Come back here."

"No, I am worried," Alan said firmly.

"Alan… I hate it when you do this."

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "But it's important. What if William can't get home? What am I supposed to tell Ronald?"

"I get it, ok, you know I care about Ronald too," he said gently. "I love him too, but we can't change these things. If William can't get the day off or isn't back home by then, I'll take him out to visit him, ok? And then they can have the romantic little evening they want."

Alan nodded weakly and Eric turned his attention to pulling him back down when another idea hit him and he sat up again. Eric sighed and shook his head. He knew Eric hated this but honestly there were more important things than Eric's need for attention. He sighed and closed his eyes. Eric had enough people fawning over him, Alan had given him permission to sleep around if he felt lonely. It was a difficult agreement to come to but it wasn't fair that he could be involved with Ronald but Eric wasn't allowed to play around too.

"He's really nervous," Alan said, shifting off the bed and heading out to the kitchen for a cup of tea. He knew Eric was following him, so didn't bother to stop talking. "You know William being there means the world to him. What are we supposed to do, Eric? He'd a child, he's not going to be able to handle the pain of William not being there. The old, Ronald, maybe, but not this version. He'd not gone through enough to be ready for something like this."

"You don't give him enough credit," Eric said as Alan handed him a coffee. "They'd spent the better part of five years apart, physically at least."

"And we both know the strain that being apart from the person you love for so long can put on a relationship, don't we?" he snapped. Eric sighed and gently wrapped one arm around his waist, pulling him close and leaning down to press a gentle kiss to his lips. "Eric… At least you can come and go more over than William. You're not restrained by people needing you in the office."

"That's what you think," he muttered. "You know how strict things are over there. It's not easy, you know."

Alan sighed and nodded, leaning back against him and sipping his tea. He didn't mean to worry so much, but poor little Ronald really needed support at the moment. He sighed and lowered his head. He'd watched over Ronald as he grew for the past five years. And he'd done a lot of it alone. He wasn't apologetic for being so protective of the youngster, given all that had happened in the past, he considered it important to protect him.

"So… we were going to bed?" Eric said, nuzzling into his neck. Alan shivered and set his cup down on the side, leaning up to receive a deep, rough kiss. Smirking slightly, Eric practically dropped his mug on the side, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him against him. "Finally."

"Shut up," Alan said, smacking his arm.

* * *

><p>"Ronnie!" Grell called, throwing open the door to Ronald's room. Ronald's head snapped up and he quickly pulled his bed covers up around him. Grell frowned and Ronald flushed bright red. "What are you up to?"<p>

"N-nothing," he whispered hoarsely.

He was half undressed and Grell said some of the most embarrassing things normally. Grell frowned and shut the door, locking it behind him and stepping over to the bed. It didn't seem like he bought his answer. His blush worsened as Grell raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing, really?" he said.

He went for the letter on the bed and Ronald's eyes widened. He tried to catch it before Grell did but the redhead got there just before him, dancing away and sitting on Ronald's desk, reading it over. His eyes widened and a slight blush crossed Grell's cheeks.

"Ronnie," he giggled. Ronald wasn't entirely sure when Grell suddenly started to like him but he wasn't sure how genuine it was either. "Do you think you can lie to your Auntie Grell?"

"Ah, well-"

"Now, let's look at the evidence, shall we?" he continued. "Here's a very dirty, explicit letter from your absent lover that's enough to make even me blush, you're in a state of undress, all sweaty and rosy, and the cute little thing you'd usually work out your frustrations with is off with his own handsome man. Tell me again you're doing nothing."

"I don't suppose we could just not have this conversation?" Ronald said weakly.

"Oh darling, this conversation is happening," he cooed.

"Miss Grell-"

"I think we should go for a walk when you're finished here. I'll be waiting down stairs."

Ronald nodded pathetically and Grell handed him back the letter as he left. He wished Alan was here. He hated when Alan was here to help him deal with Grell. If he was honest, Grell still scared him a little. He didn't really know where his senior stood. Sometimes he seemed generally caring and seemed to honestly want to be his friend, muttering about how things used to be and sometimes he seemed to want to murder him.

Grell was waiting down in the academy's dormitory entrance hall, looking thoroughly bored. Ronald hurried over and Grell stood, sweeping out towards the door with Ronald on his heels. He didn't dare question where they were going. After what had happened upstairs, he was still too embarrassed to say anything really.

They ended up in London, at the Undertaker's. Ronald wasn't overly fond of the Undertaker either. He was nice enough and he seemed willing to help them and protect them, but he was a little creepy. Any moment he expected a body to jump out a coffin at him. There was the eerie chuckling and Ronald glanced around for him. He was nowhere to be seen.

"Why are we here, Miss Grell?" he whispered.

"Oh, Ronnie, you're so jumpy," Grell laughed, waving his hand dismissively. "Silly kid. What's the worst that could happen?"

"I-I don't-"

Suddenly Grell shoved him aside and Ronald gave a sharp cry as he ended up tumbling into a coffin. The lid was put on and Ronald was plunged into darkness. He groaned and pushed desperately against the lid but it wasn't giving way. This was why he didn't like being here with Grell. He was so unpredictable.

"My my," the Undertaker chuckled. "What on earth are you up to, my lady?"

"My William is sending him dirty letters and I get nothing!" Grell snapped. The Undertaker just chuckled and Ronald banged against the lid of the coffin. "Stop banging, brat. And you stop laughing."

"I'm sorry my lady," he said. "It's just that you don't have _nothing_. You have me."

"I suppose you'll just have to remind me of that, won't you?"

"What on earth are you two up to?" Eric said, folding his arms.

Grell whined as the Undertaker turned, breaking their kiss and grinning back at him and Alan. Alan had gone to find Ronald and had come back telling him that Grell had taking him. Of course, it was pretty obvious that Grell would drag him to the Undertaker's. There was no sign of him in the funeral parlour though. Grell sighed and crossed his legs, lying back on the coffin lid he was sitting on.

"Where's Ronald?" Alan said.

"At home, imagining he's got William all over him," Grell said.

"What?" Eric muttered as the Undertaker snickered.

"You heard me." Eric sighed and shook his head. "Why?"

"Because we've just come from there and were told he was with you."

Eric frowned and glanced around. The Undertaker seemed far too pleased with himself and Grell was reclined against that coffin looking far too innocent. He shoved Grell off and opened up the coffin. Of course, there was Ronald. He went to pull him up but Ronald shoved him off and clambered out on his own, backing away from the others. Alan stepped forwards but Alan caught him around the waist and pulled him back.

"Eric?"

"Look at him."

Alan lifted his head slightly and gazed up at the blond. He was trembling and pale, with a few tears sliding down his cheeks, watching them with wide, wild eyes. Perhaps the most telling of sign of his distress and what had caused it was that the youngster was playing absently with his sleeves at his wrist.

"Ronald," Eric said gently. "Ron? You doing ok?"

Ronald turned and bolted. Growling slightly, Eric let Alan go and watched silently as the smaller reaper ran after him. Eric couldn't go. He couldn't. If he was caught he'd be dragged back into prison and he couldn't help Alan or Ronald at all. He had to let Alan go and help him and hope that their bond was strong enough this time around.

It wasn't that he didn't trust Alan to help Ronald. It was just he was still used to being Ronald's big brother figure. He hadn't had much time with him, really. The trust wasn't there this time. Still, there was going to be time for that later.

"How long is this going to last?" he muttered, glancing over at the Undertaker.

"Not much longer," the Undertaker replied. "I think there's only a few more corrupt higher ups to arrest."

"What about Ron's graduation?" Eric said. He shrugged. "Ronald wants William home for graduation and Alan's not going to be impressed if he isn't."

"Your little one is rather intimidating."

"Alan's either scarier than Will when he gets going," Grell said. "Such an adorable little fire cracker."

* * *

><p>Ronald ended up in a bar, drinking silently and trying to stop himself shaking. He barely even noticed when Alan came over and sat next to him. He'd kept quiet about it really, he'd been warned enough times that as long as he had no memories of his old life, just the left over instincts, then he wouldn't be held responsible for anything he'd done. But sometimes he got flashes and the most terrible nightmares. In the darkness, he'd had a horrible flash of his past. One of the worst ones he'd ever had. He knew what had happened but he'd only had a few incidents where he got any memories of it.<p>

"Ronald?" Alan said gently.

"I thought I was going to die," Ronald whispered.

"Oh, Ronald," he sighed, gently taking his arm and running his fingers over the scar. "We won't ever let you get hurt like that again."

Ronald nodded and glanced away. Alan glanced around before leaning over a pecking his lips. He wanted to trust Alan but it was hard to calm down enough to think straight with the memory of having his arms cut open was rather disturbing.

"It's ok," Alan murmured. "Hey, just give it a few days and we'll have William home."

The thought lifted Ronald's spirits almost instantly. William would be home and finally they'd be together again. William had promised him he could move back in with him and they'd have their division back together, like all the stories he kept hearing. But time was running out. It wasn't going to be long until he was graduating without William and Eric there to see. He didn't want to graduate without William. He wanted to be given his scythe and glasses and go home to _their_ home.

"It's going to be ok, Ronald, I promise it'll be ok."

"What if it isn't?" Ronald whispered. "What if he's not here?"

"He will be," Alan said firmly. "And if he isn't, Eric's going to take you to see him, ok? And maybe we can all get transferred over to America to be with him. Then we can all be together again."

Ronald nodded weakly and laid his head on the table as Alan stroked his hair. He'd been without William for so long. William would write to him and they'd talk over the phone and he'd go visit when he could and William would come home to see him as often as he could but it wasn't the same. It was nice to be with him, just talking and getting to know him and William seemed to enjoy him too. They went out to restaurants and bars together and William allowed Ronald to sleep in his arms some nights. Still, he wanted a physical relationship again. He knew it was killing William as much as it was killing him. It might have difficult and against the rules technically for them to be together until Ronald graduated but soon it would be legal and Ronald desperately wanted William here, where he could be as excitable as he wanted knowing his lover was within reach whenever he needed him.

"Alan, I have a bad feeling about all this."

"Don't say things like that. It's going to be ok," Alan said gently. "We should go home. I'll get rid of Eric and I can make you feel better, unless you'd like to let him in with us."

"Maybe," Ronald murmured. "I think I'd like to just go home and get drunk."

He laughed softly and nodded. "That works too. Come on then."


	44. Chapter 44

**A/N:** I wanted to get this up over the weekend but my internet went down and it's not really up right now, just I'm somewhere with WiFi. So, yes William is back. Where've Eric and Alan wandered off to? We'll get that next chapter, and more of Will and Ron. I suck so bad at doing endings, that's why it's taking so long, guys, I'm sorry. Anyway, yes, thank you for your reviews. Keep them coming please.

* * *

><p>It wasn't too late yet. Even if Ronald seemed to think so, Alan wasn't going to give up just yet. There was still time for William to come home to him. Ronald was lying next to him in bed, curled up in his arms and cuddled up close to him. Alan sighed and stroked his hair lovingly. He loved Ronald. Honestly he did. Not like he did Eric but he loved him nonetheless.<p>

He leant over, snuggling into his shoulder. Ronald was graduating that afternoon and Alan had needed to force him into bed with some sleeping pills mixed into his hot cocoa. He was a little guilty about drugging his little blond lover, but he needed his rest. He'd never had so much trust from Ronald before. Eric had been the person Ronald trusted most, and William had his love.

Alan closed his eyes and reached up, slowly stroking Ronald's cheek. For now, at least, he was Ronald's world. Of course, Ronald loved William, but he came to Alan's bed most nights, he was the one Ronald trusted and came to every time he was struggling. Ronald was his, even if it was just for a little while longer. There was still time. William would make it to see Ronald graduate. Even if Ronald didn't believe it, he did. He had to.

Ronald stirred in his sleep and Alan sighed, stroking his hair gently, trying to calm him. The flashes on his previous life certainly didn't help. His dreams were starting show him flashes more clearly. The poor thing was struggling to push them aside. It would be ok though. In a few hours, William would be home and Ronald would be a full officer and William would sweep him away. Alan would be alone again. He stroked Ronald's hair gently, trying to push those thoughts away. Without Eric, he only had Ronald and William was about to snatch him away from him.

"William…" Ronald breathed.

"He's not here," Alan whispered, even though Ronald couldn't hear him. "Not yet. He'll be here to sweep you away soon."

Ronald stirred in his sleep and Alan sighed, stroking his hair. There was that terrible, selfish part of him that loved Ronald hoped that William wouldn't make it and he could just have a little bit longer at the centre of Ronald's world.

Ronald stirred and groaned and before Alan could stop himself, he leant over and pressed a deep kiss to his lips. He knew he had to let Ronald go eventually, but he didn't want to be alone without Eric. Even if it was what was best for him, Alan so selfishly wanted to keep Ronald his until Eric returned him. He knew William was comfortable allowing him into their relationship. When he'd thought Eric was dead, William and Ronald had allowed him to get close, into their bed with them at night and almost into their relationship.

Ronald open his eye groggily and groaned, reaching up around him. Of course he was still a bit lost but quickly settled, closing his eyes and moaning softly, a habit Alan found had passed over from his previous life. He smiled and gently ran his hand through Ronald's hair. The sleeping pills would probably keep him drowsy for another few hours and he looked like he'd fall asleep again any moment.

Sure enough, as he drew away and ran his hand lovingly through his hair, Ronald was drifting off again. He needed his sleep. Alan shouldn't have been disturbing him really.

Hours later, Ronald was tossing and turning in his sleep, whimpering softly, struggling to get away from someone who wasn't there. Alan sighed, gently shaking him awake. Poor thing still struggled with his dreams. It was killing to watch Ronald like that, knowing the things they couldn't protect him from in his past life were still tormenting him now.

"Ronald," he murmured. "It's ok. It's alright. Wake up, Ronald, it's just a dream."

Ronald's eyes cracked open and Alan smiled softly, stroking his hair. "Alan?"

"Yes, Ronald," he murmured. "I'm here. It's only me. It was just a dream, sweetie. Time to get up. You've got to get ready for gradation. Come on, it's the biggest day of your life. It's important you're ready."

He smiled and petted Ronald's head, getting up slowly. Ronald laughed softly and wrapped his arms around his waist, pulling him back down to the bed, tangling their fingers together and kissing him deeply. He moaned softly as Alan rolled him over onto his back, sitting over him.

"Are you trying to distract me?" Alan purred.

"Is it working?"

"Get up," he said firmly, getting up from the bed and not giving Ronald a chance to pull him back again. "It's your big day, we need to get you ready for when William sees you."

Ronald's face fell and Alan knew what was coming. "He won't come. Even if things work out today, he won't get news in time. He can't get back here in time. He won't be there."

"Ronald, I know you don't know all the secrets of this place but I promise you, everyone will do everything they can to get him here and nothing will stop him getting here to see you graduate the second he can. Time is not an issue. You have no idea how much we're capable of when it comes to the people we love." Ronald smiled weakly and Alan beamed back at him. "Get up, I'll get you a coffee and something to eat."

* * *

><p>William was reading over Ronald's latest letter. It was sent only a few days ago, Ronald talked about his training, getting his glasses and working out his scythe. It was his old lawnmower, given a revamp for him as a gift from General Affairs. It was good to know everyone still adored little Ronald and were doing everything they could to get him back on his feet. There was nothing he wanted more than to get back to his little Ronald and see him graduating.<p>

Next to him on the bed, Grim rolled over and William sighed, reaching over and gently rubbing Grim's tummy. Not only was Ronald's letter rambling about Grell finding him with a particularly vivid letter William had sent while he was rather frustrated and longing for Ronald's presence. William was, of course, horribly amused by the thought, even if he did feel a little sorry for the youngster. Then there was new about Eric turning up and what had happened with at the Undertaker's. That was what tugged at his heart the most. Ronald was struggling with flashes of his past life and William couldn't help him.

Alan would look after him. Eric was there too but he could help Alan as best he could. He had watched Alan growing up, and now Alan had got to watch Ronald grow up. Alan would protect him and help him through as best he could while William couldn't reach him.

"You miss him too, don't you?" William murmured scratching Grim's ear. Grim whimpered and put his paws around his hand, whining up at him. William sighed. "It's alright. We'll be with him soon."

He certainly hoped so at least. He wanted desperately to have Ronald in his arms again. Ronald was struggling and he couldn't help him from here. He down those thoughts, deciding it was best to at least try to sleep. Staying up and worrying was never going to do his any good. He'd just have to hope and wait for news. He just hoped it would all turn out alright. William honestly couldn't imagine the pain it would cause Ronald if he couldn't be there to see him graduate.

* * *

><p>Eric practically jumped through the porthole into the apartment he and Alan had shared. He had huge news and he couldn't wait to tell them. Only, when he looked around, Alan and Ronald were nowhere to be seen. He checked around the bedroom and bathroom but they were nowhere to be found. He sighed and quickly opened a new porthole, hoping he'd improved his aim enough to land in Ronald's dorm room.<p>

When he stepped out into Ronald's room, he couldn't help grinning. Alan was bent over Ronald's desk, his trousers and underwear pulled down around his knees, panting and moaning as Ronald swore softly, thrusting roughly into him. Eric absolutely loved when he managed to catch them at it unaware.

"Don't mind me, you guys finish up," he laughed.

Ronald and Alan both jump, turning to glare up at him. Ronald went to pull away but Alan pulled him back, giving him a muttered demand to finish. Eric did get rather jealous, watching Ronald with his Alan, watching him where he should have been if it wasn't for the idiot higher ups ruining everything and getting in the way. He spent far too little time with Alan these days. He _couldn't_ do much more, he came as often as he could, but he really couldn't do any more. Alan needed love and affection just as much as Ronald did, without him and William there they only had each other. Eric didn't mind so much, actually, he was pretty comfortable with it, but he wished he could be there to give Alan what he needed.

"So," Alan said, sitting with Eric once they were cleaned up. "Is there a reason you turned up here so unexpectedly."

"Either we've got them all or none of them are willing to keep trying," Eric replied. "I've been cleared, papers are going through as we speak."

"And William?" Ronald called, pulling on his new uniform. Eric frowned and glanced up at him. They were going to be cutting it fine. He didn't want to give Ronald false hope, but he couldn't break his heart and tell him William wouldn't be there. "Eric?"

"It's going to be close," he said gently. Ronald frowned and Alan patted the bed. There was a moment's hesitation before Ronald joined them and Alan petted his head. "I'm not going to lie, Ronald, it is going to be close. We can push through his paperwork as quickly as possible but it's going to be _so_ close. We'll do everything we can though, I swear."

Ronald nodded weakly and Eric could see the doubt in his eyes. They all wanted the same thing. They all wanted William home, to take them back as a division, a team, and to save Ronald from heartbreak, but it didn't look too likely Ronald's wish would come true.

Eric wrapped his arm around Ronald, pulling him gently into his shoulder with Alan on the other side. He stroked Ronald's hair gently trying to be of some comfort but he knew nothing really comforted someone who was longing for the person they loved. Nothing really filled the hole of missing a loved one.

It wasn't long until Grell came bounding in, waving papers and yelling for them to get Ronald ready to go. And much as Eric had expected, this was when Ronald suddenly started to play up. Whether it was nerves, his unwillingness to graduate without William there, or a bit of both, he wasn't sure, but he knew this was going to be difficult. Graduating was hard enough for most kids. It was silly, most seniors said later it was later. Since they'd already completed their final exam, it was silly to worry about a little ceremony for show. It was nothing compared to the final exam. Of course, Eric had been so proud of both Ronald and Alan hearing Ronald had passed with flying colours and he assumed William was too.

Finally, they managed to get Ronald out his room, pulling him through the dorms to the grand hall. Anyone who questioned Eric's presence was quickly turned away with a quick glance at the papers saying that was cleared. Ronald was pounced on by his classmates quickly and pulled away. At least now he was with them he might calm down.

The three sat quietly at the back of the hall, watching as Ronald chattered nervously with his classmates. Most were at least three years older than Ronald, some five, but they all seemed to have taken to him. Eric also noticed loads of members of staff who weren't anything to do with the graduation there. It was far more packed than normal.

* * *

><p>William was striding through the halls. He'd been woken from him sleep by the Undertaker and handed the papers telling him he was to be transferred back to London. Needless to say, the situation had seemed rather surreal but he'd quickly shaken off his surprise and followed him to back through the porthole to London, knowing any moment now he'd be too late. He'd hoped he'd have more time, to talk to before his graduation, to make things right between them again and make sure things were still comfortable between them. He and Ronald had spoken once a week for as long as the teachers and Alan allowed, and they wrote back and forth, but he hadn't had the chance to physically see and hold Ronald for nearly a year now. He couldn't help worried about whether Ronald would still see him the same, if he'd still love him and long for his company.<p>

The Undertaker had told him over and over to calm down, but he wouldn't be able to stand it if he hurt Ronald by not being there. The Undertaker could be as relaxed as he liked, William didn't have time for that.

As he arrived at the door to the hall, William realised, to his disappointment, it was over. Ronald was in crowd of secretaries and officers and all manner of other workers, all apparently there just to welcome Ronald back. Eric and Alan were still there with him, watching over him with Grell watching proudly from a little way off. He smiled softly to himself. Ronald had on that fake smile, the one he'd worn for so long in his past life, and that William, like so many others, didn't even notice _was_ fake until he began to get close to him and Ronald dropped his guard. Was he already starting to put up those walls again? Was his dear Ronald already closing off from the world?

William waited as the Undertaker swept over, petting Ronald's head, much to his obvious disgust, and cooed over him until Grell pounced, demanding his attention. Ronald smiled up at them and finally looked over his way, his eyes widening slightly as they settled on him. For a brief second those gorgeous eyes lit up before dulling again and he turned to the crows. It was only once it was only the six of them and everyone was gone from the hall, that Ronald finally came to him. Ronald didn't say a word, just stood and watched him silently.

"I thought you weren't going to make it," Ronald whispered.

"I was afraid of that," William replied quietly. "I came as quickly as I could." Ronald nodded awkwardly and glanced over at the others. Finally they were all together again, how they should be. For all his complaints and frustrations, they were his dear friends and for the past five years he'd missed them all. "We should go, Ronald. Pleased as I am to see you all, I need some time with Ronald."

Eric and Alan nodded. They were really the only two he was looking for confirmation from. He gently cupped Ronald's cheek, leaning down to give him a soft, loving kiss before gently taking his hand and guiding him away.

"By the way," he said, stopping and glancing back at the others. "You have the week off, work starts again on Monday." He glanced at Ronald. "For all of you. I expect you to be on time."

"Do you need help unpacking, Will?" Grell called. "I love helping you with packing."

"Not after the last time," he snapped.

He led Ronald on, noticing out the corner of his eye Eric opening a porthole and pulling Alan through. Whatever they were up to, he really didn't care right now. He quickly led Ronald back to his old apartment, the only the Undertaker had been keeping for him. Everything was how he'd left it, all the boxes still in the spare bedroom so it didn't look empty.

Ronald sat on the leather couch, watching William silently as he made them each a cup of coffee before returning to his side. There was silence for a long moment as Ronald sipped his coffee. This was a little more awkward than he'd expected, but it could have been worse. After a long moment Ronald leant over, resting his head on William's shoulder as he drank. William stroked his hair gently. He was content, much as he wanted to sweep Ronald off his feet and take him through to the bedroom he could take things slowly. Moving too quickly wouldn't do them any good. He kissed the top of Ronald's head and the youngster glanced up at him, smiling gently.

"I just want some time with you before we get down to it," Ronald murmured. William nodded. "I just missed you so much."

"I missed you too," William said gently. He tipped Ronald's chin up, pressing a quick kiss to his lips, checking over Ronald's reaction before gently pressing into a deeper, slightly rougher kiss. "If this is too difficult… if you have doubts, please tell me, I don't mind letting you go if it makes you happy."

Ronald blinked up at him for a moment, then shook his head quickly. "Being with you, that's what makes me happy, that hasn't changed, William. I know it's been a while, but I've not thought about anything other than being with you again."

"And Alan." Ronald blushed heavily and William smiled gently. "Don't worry, I agreed to let it happen, didn't I? It doesn't bother me. Hmm? You told me after you slept with him the first time, and we all agreed it was alright for you two to be together. Don't be embarrassed by it."

Ronald nodded quietly. It was the truth. He'd not been overly pleased when Ronald had called him up as scheduled and told him he'd got rather drunk and ended up in bed with Alan. If he was honestly, he'd been furiously jealous and a little bit hurt. He knew Ronald and Alan had meant no harm by it, of course they'd both been incredibly lonely, and longing for affection, he couldn't really blame them. After talking with Eric and Alan, they'd all agreed it could be good for them. Of course, William had warned Ronald he didn't want to hear anything about it. He'd give his consent for Ronald and Alan to be together but he didn't want to hear about it. He had no secret that he was jealous and possessive, he'd warned Ronald about it, he didn't want to hear about someone else in bed with the boy he loved.

He leant down and gently kissed Ronald once more, reassuring the youngster as best he could. "Don't worry, darling, we can take our time. We can go out and have a nice romantic meal and a drink if you'd like."


End file.
